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Loading ...Ponting and team has to play lot better to get their side on top again.
Australia: flat, unconvincing, undecided
By Will last year, at the end of June Add your comment below
Four days against Sussex hasn’t helped Ricky Ponting decide on his lineup for the first Test. Have a read of my colleague’s bulletin, the whirlwind and unstoppable force that is Alex Brown:
These are worrying times for the Australians. A flat final day performance on a flat Hove pitch has given Ricky Ponting few signposts as to the composition of his best bowling attack 11 days out from the first Test in Cardiff. Only seven Sussex wickets fell on Saturday – a concerning development for a team containing five specialist bowlers – as Carl Hopkinson, making his maiden first-team appearance this season, raised a stirring century that ensured a draw, and almost forced a famous victory.
The only comforting thought for Ponting ahead of the practice match against Ian Bell’s England Lions on Wednesday is the availability of Mitchell Johnson, the ace in Australia’s pack. Peter Siddle will almost certainly partner him in Cardiff – Tim Nielsen, the Australian coach, described him as a “lock” selection on Saturday – but the make-up of the attack thereafter remains unclear and, in the absence of strong performances in Worcester, could be determined by conditions on the day.
The lack of a frontline spinner has upset their balance something horrible. Intriguing, wonderful, fascinating week coming up.
Tags: ashes, australia, the-ashes |
3 Responses to “Australia: flat, unconvincing, undecided”
June 28th, 2009 at 9.18 am
June 29th, 2009 at 11.50 am
Can’t see Lee playin’ much part in this Ashes series, he really is poor in English conditions.
Looks like only bringing Hauritz as the spinning option in our squad could turn out to be a bad decision.
June 29th, 2009 at 4.18 pm
Not sure I see the logic in bringing more than one lousy spinner on tour. Bringing two would simply reduce the fast bowling options. Why don’t Australia acknowledge that their best spinners are Clarke and Katich?
Sadly, Lee seems likely to become a passenger on this tour. He has been great box office, a great competitor and comes across as one of increasingly few good blokes in recent Aussie sides.
The lack of Australian firepower in the Sussex match will heap greater pressure on the most likely star of the show, Mitchell Johnson. With a bit of luck he will buckle under the weight of expectation and, hey presto, Ricky becomes the first Australian skipper to lose the Ashes twice!
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