Ashes 2015: Five things we learned from first Test
From the not-so-mighty Mitchell to the brilliant Broad...
Saturday 18 July 2015 16:53, UK
England started the 2015 Investec Ashes with a sensational 169-run win over Australia in the first Test at Cardiff.
With Australia favourites for the series, England's win and the manner in which they pulled it off will have surprised many, including the touring Aussies.
So what did we learn from the first Test and what can Alastair Cook's men can now take into the second Test at Lord's? David Ruse analyses the main talking points...
Mitchell’s not so mighty
Mitchell Johnson was England’s nemesis during their 5-0 Ashes whitewash two winters ago, seizing 37 wickets at an average of 13.97. The left-armer looked a shadow of his former self at The SWALEC, though – much to the delight of the home fans – going for his worst Test figures of 0-111 and angling many deliveries wide of both leg and off stump.
True, the slow Cardiff track has not given him much assistance but the 33-year-old old has been out-bowled by compatriots Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc and looks the weakest link in the Baggy Greens’ seam attack.
Johnson, who shipped 651 runs across five Tests the last time he bowled in an Ashes series in England, may not be dropped for Lord’s, especially with Starc battling to be fit for the game at HQ – but would the less rapid but more reliable Peter Siddle be a better bet?
Moeen proves his worth with bat and ball
“Moeen or Rashid?” was a question hotly debated by pundits and fans ahead of the first Test. Moeen got the nod and it proved an inspired selection. His batting – his elegant, languid, Gower-esque batting – helped England push on from a potentially precarious 293-6 in their first innings and post 430, the left-handed shot-maker stroking 77 from 88 balls and, I can assure you, earning the admiration of Ricky Ponting in the commentary box.
Moeen impressed with the ball, too, severely denting Australia’s opening knock by removing run machine Steve Smith and opposition skipper Michael Clarke and then offing David Warner in innings No 2, the twirler adding more stellar names to a list of Test victims that also includes Kumar Sangakkara, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson and Rohit Sharma. Better than a bit-part bowler, don’t you think?
Root out-bats fellow run machine Smith
Much of the talk before the series was how Joe Root and Steve Smith would amass runs aplenty during the Ashes. Well, one did at Cardiff. England No 5 Root proved his class once again, firstly by digging England out of a hole at 46-3 in their first innings to record a majestic and uber-composed second Ashes century and then adding 60 in his follow-up knock to procure his team a lead that always looked beyond Australia on a pitch doing a bit.
Smith, though, a man who came into the series having hit seven tons in his last 12 Tests, failed to get past 33 at the SWALEC, outfoxed by Moeen first up before nicking off to slip second time around. Did England pay close attention to Nasser Hussain’s excellent Ashes Zone analysis on the Baggy Greens’ No 3? Only they know that but with other batsmen also out of sorts, Australia really need their golden boy to shine.
The Aussies are creaking
Clarke proclaimed with conviction in his pre-match press conference that Australia had the perfect blend of youth and experience in their Ashes squad, but are they too experienced? Ryan Harris (35) has already been forced to retire due to a knee injury, while we’ve already mentioned the first-Test travails of that Johnson fella.
Add in the fact that Clarke (34) is no spring chicken and coming off the back of a serious hamstring injury over the winter; Shane Watson (34) has not scored a Test hundred since the last Ashes and seems to love getting out lbw; and that Brad Haddin (37) is looking decidedly shaky behind the timbers – particularly when dropping Joe Root on zero – and the tourists have plenty to ponder. Watson’s heir apparent Mitch Marsh and reserve gloveman Peter Nevill must think they’ve got a shot at playing at the Home of Cricket.
Brilliant Broad blows tourists away
Stuart Broad admitted himself that a smack in the face by a Varun Aaron bouncer last summer had dented his confidence, something that was evident with his batting woes and less-than-snappy bowling in the West Indies. But, boy, is he confident now! Always a man for a big occasion, Broad impressed with the cherry for much of the Test, often without much reward, but he garnered huge success on day four.
A stunning opening few overs saw him whistle conkers past Aussie blades, oust Chris Rogers, and go for almost diddly squat in runs, while he followed that up later on with the vital scalps of Smith and Clarke. The 29-year-old was almost unplayable, channelling memories of his scintillating 2009 Ashes spell at The Oval, bowling with great rhythm and giving England fans yet another reason to believe that sought-after little urn could be theirs.
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