2015 One Aussie had a good day

IT is just 127 miles b e t w e e n Trent Bridge and Lord’s but England have travelled a much greater distance as a team since they were hammered by Australia 19 days ago.

Michael Clarke’s men, beaten themselves at Cardiff in the previous Investec Test, not only restated their credentials as pre- series favourites with that thumping 405- run victory at the home of cricket but appeared to have dealt a fatal psychological blow to their opponents. Talk of wounds from the 2013- 14 Ashes whitewash being reopened and the potency of fast bowler Mitchell Johnson dominated discussion.

However, England refused to panic and have produced a stunning turnaround that culminated in yesterday’s clinical demolition of a punch- drunk Aussie batting line- up in just 18.3 overs.

Alastair Cook’s side didn’t just bowl out their opponents. They dismembered them.

The batsmen, led by Joe Root’s ton, then hammered home the advantage to all but seal the Ashes for their team.

The key to England’s resurrection has been Trevor Bayliss, their erudite Aussie coach who only took the job three weeks before the series began.

At 1- 1 with three to play, the series was still delicately poised after the Lord’s reversal.

It is a credit to Bayliss and England’s selectors that they resisted calls for wholesale change and instead allowed cool heads to prevail.

Just two changes were made for Edgbaston – Jonny Bairstow coming into the team for Gary Ballance and Steven Finn for Mark Wood.

The result was an eightwicket win for England inside three days that tipped series back on its head.

Finn’s performance in Birmingham was key, the fast bowler taking eight wickets in his fi rst Test for two years.

But crucial too was the work of Bayliss.

After Lord’s, he pinpointed two factors that contributed to his side’s defeat.

First was a concession that he had made a mistake warning his team that Australia would hit back hard after their defeat in Wales.

“In Cardiff we were very focused on what our jobs were individually, maybe we spent a little bit too much time thinking about Australia,” said Bayliss.

“Going forward to the next game we’ll get back into that mode and just worry about what we’re doing.”

Then there was the Lord’s pitch. England had the worse of conditions after losing the toss and being asked to bowl fi rst on a featherbed deck. Australia racked up 566- 8

the declared and they looked back after that.

More sporting surfaces, playing to England’s strengths in seam bowling, were requested thereafter.

England’s bowlers have taken advantage of the more traditional English wickets on offer in these past two Tests in brilliant fashion, Australia’s last 30 wickets posting just 461 runs – 105 fewer than that fi rst innings at Lord’s.

England’s batsmen have also come to the fore, Ian Bell with twin half- centuries at Edgbaston after moving up to No3 and then, inevitably, Joe Root yesterday.

Root may be only 24 but he is the heartbeat of this England team already.

His form this past calendar year has been remarkable, the Yorkshireman averaging 85 in that time and only failing to score at least 50 in three of those matches. Tellingly, all have been defeats for England.

Indeed, Root epitomises this exciting new England team, who under the cool guidance of Bayliss are now within touching distance of a spectacular Ashes series victory.

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‘ In Cardiff we were very focused’