The Ashes: England Fight Back

What can you say about this Test Match? It has ebbed and flowed and there has been some encapsulating cricket from both sides. Thankfully, I was not able to watch the 3rd day when Hussey and Hadding were churning out their 307 run stand. I was playing my own game of cricket (once again interrupted by rain, bloody Australian weather!). Having read many articles about the day, I have gathered that England did not play particularly badly (James Anderson bowled quite brilliantly by all accounts). It just seems that a combination of bad luck and good batting conspired against them. Once England did make the breakthrough, Australia capitulated. Losing their last 5 wickets for 50-odd runs. It was days like this that made the decision to play only 4 bowlers seem like a risky one. I do feel however that there won't be too many more days like this one and I think England definitely have their best side on the pitch.

If Day 3 couldn't have been much worse for England, then Day 4 couldn't have been much better. England started the day 202 behind Australia, albeit with all 10 wickets remaining. Surely even the most optimistic England fan couldn't have predicted what transpired throughout the rest of the day. I personally felt that a typical English capitulation was inevitable.

And yet it could all have been so different if Andrew Strauss hadn't received a big slice of luck first ball. Strauss inexplicably decided to leave an in-swinging ball from Ben Hilfenhaus first up. In real time it looked plumb. A room full of Australians were jumping and shouting around me. I was too afraid to take my hands from my face. After a few seconds however I did not hear Aussie cheers. Aleem Dar had, quite brilliantly (and as it turns out, correctly) denied the appeal.

This moment of play showed how such thin margins can make such a big difference in cricket. From Michael Hussey's first ball edge which fell just short of second slip, to the inch or so that saved Andrew Strauss from a pair. Both men went on to make pivotal hundreds which have changed the game.

I have not yet mentioned Alastair Cook. I must admit, I have been one of his many detractors and I thought he would struggle in this series. I am very happy to say that he has proved me wrong (although it is early days yet). He is not a pretty player (and never will be) but he has churned out some very valuable runs in this Test and hopefully his good form will continue over the next 4 games.

If Cook has been impressive, Mitchell Johnson has been at the other end of the scale. His pre-match declaration that he was going to give Strauss some chin music has not come to fruition. He has not found any swing and his pace has been way down. He has carried almost no threat with the ball (Shane Watson has looked for more likely to take a wicket) and has also dropped a catch and recorded a duck. Not the best of games for the 2009 ICC Cricketer of the Year. In my opinion he has to be dropped for the impressive Doug Bollinger. It seems the only thing keeping him in the team are his past achievements, he is clearly not the same man who destroyed South Africa in 2008/09.

Today was perhaps not a classic day of Test cricket (a day with only one wicket falling rarely is). It was however a brilliant fightback from a seemingly hopeless position (5-0 predictions were flying around the dressing room as Hussey and Haddin piled on the runs). This Test Match is now seemingly heading for a draw. It will probably be quite a dull finish to what has been a very exciting Test (but you never know, another surprise could be sprung).

What this match has shown, is that these two teams are incredibly evenly matched and I am quite confident that the series will go all the way to the wire in Sydney.