ASHES TO CRASHES!
Cook drops catch after colliding with Vince in a comic blunder that sums up England’s slide from...
England’s shoulders sagged and their spirits drooped as australia made a mockery on the second day of this pivotal Test of Joe Root’s fateful decision to bowl first when he won the toss.
What seemed a big gamble at the time felt like one of the great ashes cock-ups by the time australia, in conditions meant to give England their best chance of success, had reached a daunting 442 for eight off 149 painful overs in the second Test.
Barely a day goes by in the sky box without nasser Hussain being reminded of his decision to insert australia at Brisbane in 2002 and see them score the small matter of 492 en route to inflicting a thumping ashes defeat.
But at least Hussain’s side, minus simon Jones, who tore a knee ligament while fielding, were able to bowl out australia in far less conducive conditions to these in a day-night Test with a pink ball in weather more suited to Headingley than adelaide.
so it would be no surprise if in, say, 15 years’ time, Root is still haunted by that fateful day he put australia in to bat at adelaide and saw them take total control of another series they were to go on to win 5-0. This certainly seemed, even just seven days into the series, a highly significant day in the outcome of the ashes. We have been here too many times not to sense the seemingly inevitable signs of another one-sided series. England might have reached the end of the day — with Mitchell starc highlighting the difference between the attacks by hitting 93.5mph in his first over — just one down but they have an almighty mountain to climb. To be fair to Root, he needed two of England’s greatest bowlers, Jimmy anderson and stuart Broad, to justify his decision but instead they began very poorly on the first day and that set the tone for the australia innings. The big two were much better yesterday from the moment Broad trapped Peter Handscomb, who had somehow survived to make 36 under lights on saturday, plumb in front with the day’s third ball. Broad celebrated by shouting in the face of a former Yorkshire batsman who England suspect of sowing the seeds of the unsavoury sledging aimed at Jonny Bairstow in Brisbane last week. But it would be no surprise if Broad’s aggression were to lead to a visit to match referee Richie Richardson.
If two big decisions in the first session yesterday had gone anderson’s way England might have kept australia to the total below 300 that would have been the bare minimum of Root’s ambitions once he decided to bowl.
The naked eye suggested umpire Chris gaffaney was right to give shaun Marsh, who thought the ball might have pitched outside leg stump rather than being too high, lbw on 29 and perhaps wrong to send Tim Paine on his way on 24 but both decisions were overturned by technology. and both were to prove costly.
The warning signs were there when England were only able to add the wicket of Paine, making his first Test half- century for seven years, by ‘tea’ but it was in the middle session that their series began to unravel.
England’s one- dimensional attack was bereft of pace, energy, imagination and ideas while the body language was of a beaten team at the absurdly early stage of only the second day of the second Test.
They desperately need something extra and look sure to add Mark Wood to their squad as soon as they get to Perth while Moeen ali, so far, is a shadow of the offspinner who had his best season with the ball at home.
While England’s hopes plummeted rapidly australia’s selectors — labelled ‘morons masquerading as mentors’ by their former legspinner stuart Macgill before the series — were vindicated firstly by the performance of Paine and then spectacularly by the 34-yearold under-achiever in Marsh.
australia were derided here for turning to Paine and Marsh ahead of these ashes and just for a moment the apparent confusion in the home ranks appeared to give England a glimmer of pre-series hope. not a bit of it.
now Marsh, who made a halfcentury in Brisbane, chose his eighth recall to the australia side to make his fifth Test century and show why his country had returned to him despite so many injuries and so much disappointment.
This was brilliant from Marsh who, in the company of Pat Cummins, at first frustrated England and then started embarrassing them. Cummins, who had kept steve smith company when he made his match- winning century in Brisbane, took 37 balls to get off the mark as australia set out to extend their innings until the ‘twilight’ zone.
Then he started enjoying himself alongside Marsh, whose century was greeted with wild acclaim by an adelaide crowd acutely aware that they were watching an australia side appearing to take a decisive grip on this series.
England’s plight was summed up when Marsh got an edge to a rare good delivery from Chris Woakes and saw the ball lob towards gully, where alastair Cook and James Vince collided in trying to take the catch and saw the ball plop gently to the ground. It seemed a symbolic moment.
It got even worse after the ‘dinner’ break as australia swung lustily, nathan lyon pulling Craig Overton for six and Marsh taking 15 off the last over before smith’s declaration, hitting Broad straight for six.
England were down but not quite out and were relieved that more unseasonal rain came soon after the loss of Mark stoneman to the rapid starc.
It helped England get through to the close without losing the three or four wickets that seemed probable when australia unleashed their pace attack.
Yet England went into the third day knowing they would have to bat out of their skins to stay in this contest and a series that will be all but lost should they have to head again to the australian stronghold of Perth two down.