'Baggy Greens looked shocked and had no plan'
Thursday 6 August 2015 15:50, UK
Shane Warne slammed Australia’s lack of application as they were blown away for just 60 on day one of the fourth Ashes Test at Trent Bridge.
Mitchell Johnson (13) and Michael Clarke (10) were the only players to make double figures as Stuart Broad’s staggering 8-15 saw the tourists’ innings last just 18.3 overs.
Australia’s score was their seventh-lowest in Test history and second-lowest in 79 years, and Sky Sports pundit Warne was alarmed at his country’s inability to “fight” at the crease.
“Where was the art of hanging in there, getting an ugly score, fighting, not giving your wicket away? It was too easy."
“Australia have all sort of problems,” said the former Baggy Greens spinner. “Where was the art of hanging in there, getting an ugly score, fighting, not giving your wicket away? It was too easy.
“England were superb from the moment they won the toss and forced the errors, but Australia could have been more defensive and had better technique.
“They looked shocked and had no real plan.”
One-time Australia captain Ricky Ponting analysed the tourists’ hapless knock in the Ashes Zone, bemoaning how the side continued to play attacking shots despite wickets tumbling.
“Australia had to expect England to bowl well but I don’t remember one forward defence being played,” Ponting said of Clarke’s men, who were three down after eight deliveries.
“It didn’t seem like the mind-set was there to stop England running through them – there appeared to be no know-how or nous on how they would deal with the moving ball.
“When you’re three down in the second over you can’t play the way they did - you can be positive in defence and show great intent by leaving the ball, but it was only Johnson who was prepared to guts it out and leave it on length.
“I don’t know if they were confused in how they want to play but they shouldn’t have been after what happened at Edgbaston [when they lost inside three days].”
Former England skipper Michael Atherton said: "There are a couple of principles the Australia batsmen have failed to adhere to – not playing the moving ball late and playing too wide of their body.
"A player like Alastair Cook is a bit of an outlier now – a Test-match specialist who is prepared to go to lunch 20 not out and look a bit dull.”
“But the days of batsmen grinding out tough times are diminishing a little bit. A player like Alastair Cook is a bit of an outlier now – a Test-match specialist who is prepared to go to lunch 20 not out and look a bit dull.”
Coverage of the fourth Ashes Test from Trent Bridge continues live on Sky Sports Ashes HD. You can also watch the fourth Test with a NOW TV Sports Day Pass. Plus, our Ashes Events Centre - the best of Sky Cricket's analysis at your fingertips - is available on our iPad app.
