Fourth Test, Day 2: Australia Hang On... Just

 

 

Ashes 2015

 

Fourth Test, Day 2: Australia Hang On... Just

 

August 7^th 2015

 

Probably only bad light, a No Ball and a couple of missed chances stopped Australia from losing by an innings. The good news was that Australia had a much better second day. The bad news was that it still was not very good and only delayed the inevitable.

And we got the lunchtime declaration that I predicted yesterday. It was an eye-opener from Cook who was, perhaps, adding his own little piece of sadistic revenge for the indignities suffered in Australia.

We saw a microcosm of the series and, indeed of the 2013 series. Australia produced some very good passages of play but, as in 2013, these were not sustained. Although Australia will go home with a win under their belts in the Lord’s Test, they have been singularly incapable of sustaining the effort. Starc and Hazlewood produced a spectacular example again.

When England were 269-3 late on the first evening it must have felt like the end of the world: the Australian version of events that they had been caught on an unplayable pitch was looking more untenable with every boundary. In just 14 overs 269-3 had become 332-8 and the more optimistic Australian fans thought that there might be a way back. There was a spring the step of the fielders. The lead would be a still massive one, but well under 300 and if David Warner and Chris Rogers would give them a good start and knock off 150 or 200, who knows?

The bad news was that Moeen Ali was still there and, thanks to the use of the nightwatchman, also Stuart Broad. Not too many Australians had thought that Stuart Broad could inconvenience them in this series: certainly not with the bat anyway. Unfortunately for the visitors, some chickens are coming home to roost with the institutional abuse campaign that he suffered in Australia, which went far beyond anything acceptable or justifiable. Fours and sixes rained down in half an hour of mayhem. Moeen scored 34 of his 38 in boundaries, Broad 14 of 24*. A partnership of 58 in 45 balls and the Australians almost visibly gave up on the match.

Cook’s declaration was calculating. He wanted 3 overs before Lunch. Broad and Finn were allowed to bat on for 12 balls for the addition of just one run. Lead 331 and suddenly he waved them in after two balls of a new over. Message: you cannot even bowl us out in this Test and I want to win in under two days. It was a bit sadistic. Cook has suddenly grown-up in this series and now no longer simply reacts passively to events.

This time Rogers and Warner set about their task positively, but with a little more discrimination and the magic was not quite there for England. Knowing that the game was as good as over the tension was not quite there. Poor Jim Maxwell on the radio was bewildered when a huge ovation interrupted the game: it took him a few seconds to realise that it was because Australia had reached 61 and passed their first innings total – it was that sort of afternoon.

However, you knew that the magic was not there for Australia. Even if England had got themselves into this position, you just knew that the 2013/14 Australians would wriggle out; despite their huge win at Lord’s, the 2015 Australians do not project the same sense of insulting omnipotence. Everyone, including Darren Lehmann, knew that it would just take one wicket to open the floodgates because the opening pair have been just about their only reliable card all series. Broad bowled superbly, but things did not quite happen. Cook dropped one catch. Bell a very difficult one. Root took a brilliant catch off Wood only for the umpires to check the No Ball and find a marginal overstep, called by Sir Geoffrey who had a clear opinión, as usual, even when his fellow commentators were celebrating the wicket, that the foot was on the line, but not behind.

Enter Ben Stokes. His bowling has barely been needed and, when he has bowled, he has taken just two expensive wickets. He was not even needed in the first innings. His brief bat came in the middle of the England collapse. Now though, there was just a danger that another hour and Rogers and Warner could start to think of an incredible escape.

Suddenly we were back to the first innings. Rogers reached his 50. Last ball of over. Ball outside off. Grope. Edge. Flying Root. Breakthrough for Stokes.

Wood to Warner: 2 6 . 2 4 1

15 off the over and you know that Australia’s restraint has gone. Five balls, only one of which was defended. Short ball. Warner takes a swing without engaging brain. Stuart Broad takes the catch. Two in two overs for Stokes. Both off the last ball.

Marsh joins Smith. Sixth ball of Stokes’s next over… Marsh prods, Root receives. The experiment of playing Shaun Marsh instead of his brother has probably ended there.

One ball from Broad, left by Smith. Next ball pitched up and a fraction wide. Smith is convicted of dangerous driving and Stokes stayed in the game by taking a good, low catch.

31 balls before Tea Australia were 113-0 and starting to hope. At Tea, it was 138-4 and the question was one of whether or not those with third day tickets would see any play at all.

As it happened, although Clarke and Nevill hung on for a while, it would have been kinder to put Clarke out of his misery quickly. His 12 overs at the crease were of a man who awakes thinking that he is having a nightmare only to discover that it is all real.

With another pair of quick wickets for Stokes before the Close, had bad light not intervened, Alistair Cook would have had the option of the extra half hour. The suggestion is though that the bowlers wanted a night of rest and to come back and finish the job quickly in the morning in front of a large and excited crowd.

The only remaining question is whether or not England will make it 4-1 at The Oval and get a measure of revenge for 2013/14. For several of that ill-fated England expedition, it was career-ending. This series is like to end the careers of several of this Australian team. Harris and Rogers are gone. Haddin is likely to join them. And doubts hang over Voges, Shaun Marsh and several others. Sides will also know that if the pitch has some life in it, Steve Smith looks helpless: this news will interest South Africa, New Zealand and the West Indies in particular who can prepare suitable pitches easily.

For England, 2013/14 caused a generation change.

For Australia, 2015 is likely to produce another.