While everyone connected with English cricket was both buoyed and mightily impressed with the fighting draw in the first Ashes Test at Brisbane, the message from the management to the players has been to keep their feet firmly on the ground.
Andrew Strauss was quick to make that point again this afternoon, repeating Andy Flower's observation that the match was no more than drawn, and the score line remains 0-0.
Strauss confirmed that everyone in the squad is fit and from that we can conclude that England will probably be unchanged, but there are areas that have room for improvement.
The first is the frustrating business of England's first innings scores.
There has to be much more focus on batting with the same discipline and commitment shown by Strauss, Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott in the second innings at the Gabba - but when it really matters in the first innings.
It can be easier second time around, when there is a definite target to aim for, be it a score to beat or a specific number of sessions to survive.
Batting first has no such obvious focal point other than the aim to score as many runs as possible, and the top six batsmen really need to knuckle down and bat Australia out of the match if they possibly can.
The other area of concern - albeit it mild at the moment - is Graeme Swann's form. Strauss strongly defended him on Wednesday, as you would expect, but the off-spinner was well below his best at Brisbane.
Pulled far too often by Michael Hussey in the first innings, Swann was then driven down the ground by Ricky Ponting and Shane Watson in the second, suggesting he is still searching for the right length here.
Things might have been different had Paul Collingwood taken a routine slip catch, which did rather sum up Swann's match.
Ponting always likes to name his team in advance if he can, and I reckon this is the first time against England he has been unable to do that.
The decision to drop Mitchell Johnson was entirely the right one, even though Ponting seemed to load the blame, as it were, on to the four selectors.
Australia had to do something with the bowling attack and I fully expect Doug Bollinger to play, but dare they drop Ben Hilfenhaus as well and replace him with Ryan Harris?
Hilfenhaus bowled pretty well on that flat pitch, and Harris and Bollinger are both returning after injuries.
With doubts about Michael Clarke's decision to declare himself fit for Brisbane, and then bat as if he was seriously discomforted, Australia cannot afford to take a chance that one of their bowlers could break down again.
There is a little more grass on the pitch than usual, but with hot weather forecast for the first two days at least, this is wicket that you definitely want to bat on first.
Then we can see if either team has the firepower to bowl the other out twice.
Read More
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/9249518.stm
Andrew Strauss was quick to make that point again this afternoon, repeating Andy Flower's observation that the match was no more than drawn, and the score line remains 0-0.
Strauss confirmed that everyone in the squad is fit and from that we can conclude that England will probably be unchanged, but there are areas that have room for improvement.
The first is the frustrating business of England's first innings scores.
There has to be much more focus on batting with the same discipline and commitment shown by Strauss, Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott in the second innings at the Gabba - but when it really matters in the first innings.
It can be easier second time around, when there is a definite target to aim for, be it a score to beat or a specific number of sessions to survive.
Batting first has no such obvious focal point other than the aim to score as many runs as possible, and the top six batsmen really need to knuckle down and bat Australia out of the match if they possibly can.
The other area of concern - albeit it mild at the moment - is Graeme Swann's form. Strauss strongly defended him on Wednesday, as you would expect, but the off-spinner was well below his best at Brisbane.
Pulled far too often by Michael Hussey in the first innings, Swann was then driven down the ground by Ricky Ponting and Shane Watson in the second, suggesting he is still searching for the right length here.
Things might have been different had Paul Collingwood taken a routine slip catch, which did rather sum up Swann's match.
Ponting always likes to name his team in advance if he can, and I reckon this is the first time against England he has been unable to do that.
The decision to drop Mitchell Johnson was entirely the right one, even though Ponting seemed to load the blame, as it were, on to the four selectors.
Australia had to do something with the bowling attack and I fully expect Doug Bollinger to play, but dare they drop Ben Hilfenhaus as well and replace him with Ryan Harris?
Hilfenhaus bowled pretty well on that flat pitch, and Harris and Bollinger are both returning after injuries.
With doubts about Michael Clarke's decision to declare himself fit for Brisbane, and then bat as if he was seriously discomforted, Australia cannot afford to take a chance that one of their bowlers could break down again.
There is a little more grass on the pitch than usual, but with hot weather forecast for the first two days at least, this is wicket that you definitely want to bat on first.
Then we can see if either team has the firepower to bowl the other out twice.
Read More
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/9249518.stm
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