Ashes 2013
Massacre
July 20th
[19:00 CEST] If anyone had any doubts about Joe Root or
about the final destination of the Ashes, they can forget them now. Australia
had given themselves a slim chance of getting back into the match by reducing
England to 30-3 last night: if they could have rolled England this morning, they
might just have fancied themselves for the chase. Instead, they are already
facing a chase 150 greater than the highest ever successful chase in a Test.
Australia have looked as if they just wanted this match to
end and to be able to go somewhere else. No spirit, no fight, no interest. From
30-3 the score has advanced to 333-3, a lead of 566, with just the nightwatchman, Tim Bresnan,
falling after another useful score and Ian Bell, who hammered a long hop
straight to Chris Rogers and must be furious for missing out on another
century.
Australia cannot even claim the consolation of being able
to say that they have been beaten by South Africans. The runs were scored by
two Yorkshiremen and a lad from Coventry who was dubbed by them the Shermanator
and not precisely as a compliment. And it is another Yorkshireman, Jonny
Bairstow, who was at the crease with Joe Root at the Close as England scored
happily at 5-an-over, including a horrific Steve Smith over that went for 18,
including two sixes.
The undoubted king of the day though was Joe Root. Just as
fans were beginning to worry that his amazing run of form at #6 was being
killed-off as an opener he has responded with a huge innings. It was a day when
things were in his favour: an insipid and demoralised attack, a friendly pitch
(or, at least, it seemed that way) and perfect batting conditions. Joe Root
made the bowlers pay for a ridiculous life last night when an edge went between
Haddin and Clarke and neither moved. To his credit, Nick Compton was one of the
first to congratulate Root, who has now sealed that opening spot for the rest
of the summer. Joe Root has also done what Nick Compton failed to do in that he
has turned a century into a big hundred and only an overnight declaration looks
capable of stopping him going on to a double century in the morning.
To declare, or not to declare? That is the question! England
already have more than enough runs to win with plenty to spare. However, when
Australia were on top for so long they followed the West Indian tactic of grinding
defeated opponents into the dirt and setting ridiculous targets to humiliate them
completely. A lot of people expected England to declare tonight and give the
Australians a few overs to face. Many more expect them to declare overnight,
but the Australian mental disintegration technique consisted of making the
opposition drag themselves around the outfield for hour after hour wondering
when the torture would finally stop, until all resistance had been ground out
of the opposition. England do not need to declare now. If the Australians can
bat for 6 sessions, they will reach the current target comfortably anyway.
Better to make them bowl on in the morning, tiring the players for the rest of
the series. You can even argue that England could justify batting on for an
over or two after lunch, until they are begging Alistair Cook to declare and
challenging Australia to survive five sessions. Based on what we have seen so
far, that looks most unlikely: in the 1st Test, Australia’s two innings
together lasted just short of 6 sessions and summed only a few more runs than
England’s current lead..
No comments:
Post a Comment