It was vital that unlikely lads came to the party
Put into context what has gone before on this tour — and on opening days of previous Gabba tests — and I would argue this was an important day for England.
the scoreboard does not tell t the full picture. It would be natural to assume that the runs had come from Alastair Cook and Joe Root, so for the three lads dubbed the unknowns by the Australians to contribute so early in the series is hugely significant.
Mark Stoneman and James Vince would have liked more — to have gone on to get hundreds — but it is key for players like them and Dawid Malan, who have not previously toured Australia, to play their part at the first time of asking.
they proved the point I made this week that there are no demons in the pitches Down under or this Australian attack, which is good but not one you should be petrified of. the way the top order shaped up against their bowlers provides reason for optimism.
However, any day can a always be better and Vince’s run-out, when he was batting beautifully, could end up being the pivotal moment of the test.
I have always b been a fan of V Vince but what disappointed me about his first stint as a test batsman was not the wafts outside off- stump but the fact that he did not rid himself of them.
Here, when he did make a mistake he admonished himself and corrected it. Stoneman, a batsman brought up on some dodgy surfaces, leant on his county cricket education. the start of his career at Durham coincided with a time when the pitches were finding their way at Chester-le-Street, so his firstclass stats before he moved to Surrey were not eye-catching. He is accustomed to having to grind for his runs. Here he was not at his fluent best but he does not strike me as someone who will be bothered by that. He can play in a number of different ways so if his batting is not flowing he is prepared to churn out a score. that is what you want at the top of the order — someone with the versatility to play according to the conditions. Occasionally you will have periods in which you do not score, when you have to sit in and allow the bowlers to have their half-hours. Stoneman appears to accept this. Even then, there is a fine balance between going into your shell and providing chances by attacking too much. Australian captain Steve Smith would have been pleased that his bowlers kept control of the run rate and never allowed the opposition to get away.
For England’s new-look top six, striking that balance will take time, but I would rather see them on the over-my-deadbody side of the equation as opposed to gung-ho, going after the off- spinner Nathan Lyon, losing a couple of wickets and looking a bit foolish.
As the series progresses that might have to change. the balance between recklessness and the scoreboard going nowhere needs to be struck and having naturally quick scorers like Root, Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali at the crease will develop that.
the scoring rate was not helped by a lack of pace in the pitch and that is why I would not be too hasty judging the Australian fast bowlers. there was not a lot in it for them but it spun more than it usually would. Lyon bowled beautifully and his great skill is that he gets over-spin on the ball to create extra bounce.
the pitch will get harder and quicker for the pace bowlers and I expect it to spin again towards the end. Come day five it could be a bit up and down and grooved so batting last on it might prove tricky. England have to make sure Australia are the ones doing so.