TOTAL WIPEOUT
Australia crushed by Anderson masterclass
They promised they would take the attack to Australia after their Lord’s horror show and england thrillingly delivered yesterday on a compelling opening day of the third Test that stands comparison even with the Ashes classic of 2005.
It was 10 years ago here at this atmospheric edgbaston ground that Glenn McGrath trod on a ball and ruled himself out, Ricky Ponting put england in to bat and they then responded with no fewer than 407 runs in the day.
Well, if anything this was even more dramatic as masterful bowling from Jimmy Anderson saw Australia crash to 136 all out before Ian Bell launched a sublime, turbo-charged reply — only to throw it away within sight of the close.
There may have only been 269 runs on a raininterrupted opening to this pivotal game but 13 wickets tumbled in 65.4 overs and there was no shortage of incident as bite returned to the Ashes after two apparently mild-mannered Tests. When the elements had the final say england were just three runs behind Australia’s sub-standard total after rattling along at 4.58 an over and, with three wickets down, stand poised to move into a commanding position.
Not that anything can be taken for granted in this topsy-turvy series.
If only Bell, under desperate pressure on his home ground, had been able to see the day through, england really would have been in a fantastic position, but they will still be highly satisfied with the way they put Lord’s behind them. No- one more so than Anderson who reminded us all after his rare wicketless display at Lord’s that he remains indisputably the leader of this england attack with the best Ashes bowling performance of his long career.
england wanted to feel the green, green grass of home and it was provided at their favourite venue by groundsman Gary Barwell, who prepared a surface that at last resembled an english pitch rather than a lifeless ‘corporate’ one.
Not that this was in any way a terror track and Alastair Cook would have made the same decision as Michael Clarke and batted had he won the toss.
It is sometimes unfairly claimed that Anderson needs something in the pitch or atmosphere to excel but it is indisputable that he is a master craftsman whenever there is swing in the air or, in this case, seam in the surface.
here Australia were complicit in their own downfall as they prodded and poked nervously at balls they could have left or perished trying to leave deliveries they really should have offered a defence to. yet nothing can be taken away from Anderson, who ripped the heart out of Australia with a post-lunch spell of four for seven off 19 balls to take six for 47 in all, and the returning Steven Finn who struck two crucial, early blows.
england had wanted to test Steve Smith early on against the moving ball and now Finn, in his first Test for more than two years, was able to do so after Anderson had trapped David Warner palpably in front. This day must have seemed a long way away for Finn during the last miserable 18 months since he was deemed ‘unselectable’ towards the end of an Ashes tour where his bowling action simply fell apart.
yet he was given his chance here ahead of the fragile Mark Wood and responded gloriously by forcing Smith to edge to slip with his sixth ball and then followed it by bowling Michael Clarke with another skilful full-pitched delivery.
Chris Rogers was the only Australian to stand firm, contributing 52 runs after his very participation had been in doubt following a bout of dizziness at Lord’s.
england warmed to their task and Bell made a wonderful start to his return to No 3 — where he scored the only double century of his career — by taking three classy fours off successive balls from Josh hazlewood and three in an over from Mitchell Starc. But after moving to a high- quality 53 and looking destined to become the first Warwickshire batsman to score a Test hundred at edgbaston, Bell maddeningly, infuriatingly, holed out off Nathan Lyon.
Bell had made an earlier entrance than england would have liked because Adam Lyth had again fallen to a ball he could have left outside off stump, this time a poor one from hazlewood that the yorkshireman attempted to drive.
Where Lyth and Bell were careless Cook was desperately unlucky, having pulled Lyon’s second ball hard but straight at short leg where Adam Voges somehow caught the ball virtually in his jumper without even looking at it.
Throughout there was an edge to the action that was not visible at either Cardiff or Lord’s. Anderson exchanged words with his old
bete noire Clarke, every slip in the field by Mitchell Johnson was greeted with loud barracking by the fervent crowd and the charmless Warner screamed in ugly fashion at Bell as he left the field. It was Ben Stokes who told
Sportsmail at the weekend that ‘the way Australia let us know they were on top at Lord’s didn’t sit too well as a player. There will be a bit more Ashes spice next time’.
Clearly something has happened between these teams that will leave the officials needing to keep a close eye on the rest of this Investec series.
But for now the drama is no lesser for that and england are right back in it after looking down and out at Lord’s. The next instalment today cannot be missed.