By Tom Mallows
The fact this test match was over in three days should at least give Strauss and his England side 48 extra hours to take stock and re-organise after such a heavy and bruising defeat.
Australia looked like the imperious side of old as they ruthlessly ripped through the England batting line-up and then mercilessly took the game away from them with the bat.
After having the better of the last two tests England were second best by a distance in this game, just as they were at Cardiff. But while we did not get too carried away with Lord’s, there should be no over reaction now.
Talk of wholesale changes in the line-up is, I feel, unnecessary. I don’t feel the gap between the two sides is as great as the past few days suggest - though credit has to go to the Aussies for outplaying England in every department. The now infamous ‘momentum’ is definitely with them.
If Flintoff is fit enough even to bowl in short bursts I think he should play. He inspires those around him and adds a bit of steel to what is looking like a fragile batting line-up. Harmison, who again failed to live up to the hype, should make way.
Ravi Bopara’s place is also under threat after successive failures in this series. But while it would be easy to put say, Rob Key, in his place, would that benefit long term?
The ECB has put faith in Bopara and I believe they need to keep faith with him for longer than a few tests. Playing with the spectre of being dropped will hinder rather than help - though he is running out of chances.
What is needed now is a return to basics. Australia pitched the ball up on day one, not a complicated tactic, yet England fell for it every time, with nearly every wicket coming from catches behind the wicket.
But instead of imitating their opponents England persisted with their short wayward line, allowing Watson and Ponting to blast the ball to all four corners of the stadium.
England have enough talent to beat Australia at the Oval and re-claim the Ashes if they return to the disciplined batting and bowling seen earlier in the series. However my fear is that the psychological damage inflicted during the Headingley horror show may prove terminal.
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3 comments:
More than Key England have to look out for Moore.
He is basically plays as a opener but I have a feeling he knows what works for him to succeed in test cricket.
To be precise I believe he has the temperament to play in the top order in test cricket.
This defeat will definitely hurt the English. I still feel there bowling isn't at all bad. They just simply didn't show up to play cricket. However, I feel their middle order is quite weak. Players like Bopara, Bell and collingwood are not clicking. If they are in, they just don't go to make a big one. Straus has been the only one who has scored a century. On the other hand, Australians have 6 or 7 centuries under their name. These stats say alot.
I think people forget how different the series would have looked at Collingwood, Panesar and Anderson hadn't batted out that first game.
Full credit to them for getting it right but it would have knocked a lot of the stuffing out of the English side.
@greyblazer - I don't know much about Moore but Bopara doesn't seem to be the answer to the English top order and with KP not around they need somebody to work with Strauss.
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