The 1st test is evenly poised after two day, despite England striking a late blow to have Australia 5/264 in response their first innings total of 430
Pivotal moment – Steve Smith was looking to be in superb form, racing to 33 off 55 balls, with five glorious boundaries mostly off the off-spin of Moeen Ali. He looked set for a long innings, potentially a daddy hundred.
He lost his footwork and ended up bunting Ali to the waiting hands of Alistair Cook at short mid-on who gleefully took an easy catch.
It was symptomatic of the lapses in concentration by the Australian batsman after getting a start. Three players got out in the 30’s, while Chris Rogers was out for 95, when a big hundred was needed.
This is the difference between the two sides to date.
Moment to file in the memory banks – Smith clearly doesn’t rate the spin of Ali, going hard after him. That or it was a plan to get after his bowling as a way of putting pressure on his place in the side, as he is really a batsman who bowls a bit, bolstering the middle order and providing some vital overs of spin.
The tactic worked to a degree, with Ali almost going for 5 runs per over. He did take the vital wickets of Smith and Michael Clarke though, the two best players of spin in the side;.
Why can’t Australia’s batsman convert a start? – is it a lack of concentration, too much limited overs cricket, the ability of batsman to convert starts and bat long periods of time is starting to be a real worry for Clarke and coach Darren Lehmann.
I am still worried about – Mitchell Johnson. His bowling on Day 2 was probably worse than Day 1
Shane Watson goes into Day 2 on 29 not out, one short of his usual get out zone in the 30’s. The reliance on him now to make a big score is a worry for all fans of the Baggy Greens.
What Australia needs on Day 3 – Nathan Lyon to hang around for at least an hour and support Watson through to a fifty and tire the English bowlers. Watson needs to carry his bat from here to the end and make a big hundred. Brad Haddin owes the team some runs after the Joe Root dropped catch.
What England needs on Day 3 – wrap up the last five Aussie wickets before lunch and bat out the day to build a lead that Australia will not be able to chase down.
What the – sure it hurts when a cricket ball hits you in the groin region. When Cook copped one in the region at 1st slip he did a great imitation of a soccer player, writhing all about the floor for minutes and then going off the field for a number of overs.
The reaction of Joe Root was priceless.
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