The 3rd Test - turning point?

[Owzat]

While there's been much discussion even about whether we should be discussing a whitewash in the Ashes, the events of the past two days may have put all that on the backburner.

England look unlikely to be able to force a win, they will no doubt be keen just to hang on to a two nil lead and go "dormie 2-0 up" to pinch golf terminology entering the last two Tests.

But let's work on the assumption the aussies have a good chance of winning this Test and go on to - could this be a/the turning point in the series? Up to now we've talked as if England are vastly superior, and I guess you could argue they have had a big upper hand for most of the first two Tests. But if the aussies make it 2-1 they could sneak a series draw, or even a series win.

So the question is, do you think they can?

 

[barmyarmy]

I think the question is premature. England are yet to bat on this pitch and of the two wickets they've lost one was the nightwatchman.

 

[vaibhavtewatia]

Ofcourse there is only one team which can win this match, Australia, but all will be clear today. Though I doubt they'll pick up 8 wickets today given how good the wicket is ( after watching the Aussies bat :P)

As for the series, certainly a positive thing for them and if at all they move on with the same sort of batting performance, you never know.

 

[Owzat]

I think the question is premature. England are yet to bat on this pitch and of the two wickets they've lost one was the nightwatchman.

Not really premature, I'm putting it out there as 2-1 with two Tests to go would be "series on". The aussies are in the box seat in this Test, if you don't think they can draw or win the series then I don't need to tell you what to vote for..................

 

[sifter132]

Looking at this question after a whole Test where Australia were on top, I say maybe a turning point...it should certainly boost their confidence for the next 7 Tests. One thing it's done is this game has let them see England be very defensive, men back on the fence from lunch on the 2nd day, slow over rates and no obvious intent to win. That always sticks in your mind as an opponent, these guys will defend and crawl inside their shells quickly if we get on top.

Going forward, Australia's batting is still way to inconsistent for them to be a good enough team to win a series against a top side. We saw it vs South Africa last summer. Australia had the better of the first 2 Tests, but couldn't get a result. Then in the 3rd Test the batting gremlins came back. We'll see Australia on top a fair bit, win a Test here and there, but ultimately fail if they can't get enough runs.

 

[barmyarmy]

Incidentally anyone else think Monty P got a little confused when at the team meeting Andy Flower said to attack the short ball? Probably didn't help when KP shouted out "piss easy!" either.

 

[matty670]

Incidentally anyone else think Monty P got a little confused when at the team meeting Andy Flower said to attack the short ball? Probably didn't help when KP shouted out "piss easy!" either.

When I read the bbc headline 'england cricketer urinates on bouncer' I was confused. Still yet to think of a clever pun though...

 

[Owzat]

Momentum definitely seems to be with the aussies, they may not end up having won either Test, but the last two have knocked all the talk of whitewashes on the head and turned the series on its head - if not in scoreline, in the direction.

To think the aussies could easily have won the first two Tests, maybe DRS has essentially cost them the Ashes - as opposed to the supposed tape on the sides of bats their paranoia is detecting that hotspot can't

 

[barmyarmy]

You'll have to expand on how they could easily have won at Lord's

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

I think it was a turning point in that england, having now won the ashes and been denied the whitewash, can't be arsed with the remaining two tests.

in fairness to the aussies, they've looked a lot closer to england than I think most people thought they would be.

 

[Owzat]

I think it was a turning point in that england, having now won the ashes and been denied the whitewash, can't be arsed with the remaining two tests.

It is very relevant with this being a back to back "bonanza", England may have survived a scare to retain the Ashes, but to lose a 2-0 lead could have big consequences.

in fairness to the aussies, they've looked a lot closer to england than I think most people thought they would be.

The aussies may have clawed their way back in to the first two Tests, but they have given England a harder time than thought likely with all the talk of whitewashes

1st Test

England were 178/4 and reduced to 215 all out, losing their last six wickets for 37 runs. From 117/9 the aussies made 280 thanks to Agar and were 65 runs to the good at half time.

England then pooped the party, shaky at 218/6 they managed to add 157 for the last four wickets with Broad scoring 65 and making for controversy. The aussies made a fist of it, 296 all out in the end to lose by just 14 runs with the last pair adding 65

2nd Test

England may have won convincingly in the end, but the aussies had their moments. England were shaking a bit at 127/4, before Bell and Bairstow added 144 for the 5th wicket. A few late order runs boosted England to 361. The aussies in reply collapsed, from 42/0 and looking reasonably composed, they lost all 10 wickets in adding just 86 more runs.

England fell to 30/3 in setting a target before Root steadied the ship in scoring 180, over half the England total. The aussies never really looked like surviving, but having been reduced to 36/3 they too made a decent recovery.

3rd Test

The aussies posted the most, and thus far only, significant total in posting 527/7d, that from 129/3 at one point. England made sometimes hard work of their 368 total in reply, at 110/4 that did not always look 'on'.

The aussies lost regular wickets in setting a target which England didn't get much of a chance to chase, ending 37/3 before rain ruined a decent match.

4th Test

England looked set fair at 149/2 before the middle order disappeared in a puff of smoke, the Lyon roared and the last eight wickets fell for 89 runs. The aussies are still of course batting, were struggling at 76/4 before Rogers with support from Watson put them on course for a lead which they've just taken with three wickets in hand.



While England controlled much of the 1st Test, it was pretty even in the end. England bossed the 2nd Test as much as the aussies did the 3rd, and now the aussies are edging their noses in front in the 4th Test. Overall that comes to being very very close, despite a 2-0 margin. Such is life, England won the close fought Test and when the respective sides were on top England got the win, and then the rain to save them.

 

[midgetwars]

Like Clarke always says, when Australia had momentum we never ran with it. And when the opposition did they went nuts and we couldn't get it back.

Yesterday morning was the most important and we let the lower order score runs after Prior and Bell went it should of been easy but it wasn't.

I wonder what's wrong with Bird. I mean he averaged 16 before the match with the ball.

 

[Owzat]

Don't underestimate Bresnan and Swann, both have a few fifties for England and have both come close to hundreds before now.

The England tail did what I said the aussie tail might, get a cameo score or two. Quick runs added, cause panic and make field setting all important.

That said, those extra 30+ runs the aussies might have avoided conceded didn't cost them, I think the lack of runs on the 3rd morning (5/48) and the collapse yesterday (6/31) summed up their series and blew the match.

Of course DRS reared its ugly head, Haddin and Watson LBW on "umpire's call" which means they would have been not out if the umpire had given them the benefit of the doubt which the "umpire's call" suggests there was

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Like Clarke always says, when Australia had momentum we never ran with it. And when the opposition did they went nuts and we couldn't get it back.

Yesterday morning was the most important and we let the lower order score runs after Prior and Bell went it should of been easy but it wasn't.

I wonder what's wrong with Bird. I mean he averaged 16 before the match with the ball.

He'd only played 2 matches against Sri Lanka in Australia. That's why his average was 16. Their batting line-up was not strong at all.

He's playing in a country he's never played in before and with a team that is not confident at all in the biggest series of his international career. He's also bowling against a far stronger batting line-up than he's ever faced before.

I think that just about covers it.

 

[Owzat]

He'd only played 2 matches against Sri Lanka in Australia. That's why his average was 16. Their batting line-up was not strong at all.

He's playing in a country he's never played in before and with a team that is not confident at all in the biggest series of his international career. He's also bowling against a far stronger batting line-up than he's ever faced before.

I think that just about covers it.

I think you've about got your best bowling line up now, whether there is a better spin option I doubt.

Looks like another Test is going to be lost to the weather, one in which the aussies are looking the more likely for victory only to be denied. That 3rd Test could have been the turning point, although England won the 4th so you don't know winning the 3rd would have helped the aussies in that 4th Test.

But the essence was appreciation this series wasn't as simple as the 5-0 talk that preceded it, in fact in three of the Tests the aussies could easily have won so 3-0 is flattering indeed for England. I guess you can say they took advantage of the breaks, when winning and when the weather saved their backsides!