Ashes Cricket - 5 Thoughts from Day 3 of the 3rd Test
1. Australia have one hand on the urn
Australia put one and a half hands on the Ashes urn yesterday by pummelling a bedraggled England into the Perth turf on Day 3 of the Third Test in Perth. England could manage just the solitary Australian wicket of Shaun Marsh, as the hosts racked up 1/345 for the day to advance their total to 4/549 and an imposing first innings lead of 146 and counting. Steve Smith batted the entire day to bring up his highest Test score of 229 not out, whilst Mitchell Marsh made it a homecoming to remember with a staggering 181 not out, in an unbroken fifth wicket partnership of 301 runs. With showers forecast on Days 4 and 5, it probably remains England’s best hope of not conceding the Ashes in Perth and effectively rendering the much hyped Boxing Day and New Year’s Test’s as dead rubbers. Whilst Australia won't care that it's been a lop sided series, the tourists could be potentially being put out of their misery in the next couple of days.
2. Selectors justified once more
Australian Selectors 3, Majority of the Australian Public and Media 0.
That’s the current scoreboard this summer, as all of Trevor Hohns’ men’s big plunges have paid off handsomely. Whilst I wasn't a huge fan of Shaun Marsh due to his injury struggles, both he and Tim Paine have had good series and look classy with bat and gloves respectively. However, the most controversial call was jettisoning Peter Handscomb in favour of Mitchell Marsh. Marsh averaged just 21 with the bat from 21 Tests, however for mine they kept going back to the well because his potential upside was high. We finally saw that in full yesterday with a stunning 181 not out, full of power and proper cricket shots. Explosive all-rounders are like gold dust when you find them, and sometimes they take a while to harness. With England looking sorry for themselves at 2-0 down in the series, and Marsh on his home deck, the decision for me had logic and momentum behind it. Marsh has taken a few significant steps since his return, scoring freely in First Class cricket, captaining his State, and moving away from reading some of the bile on social media regarding his performances.
3. Smith in a zone like rarely seen before
Steve Smith is batting like God right now, and the longer he stays in that zone, the more his numbers start to pull away from some of the greats of Australian cricket. Smith rubbed salt into England’s wounds with each milestone yesterday, raucously celebrating each milestone like a man taunting his wounded prey. Smith's greatness is growing by the innings with some of his numbers staggering. Among all Australian batsmen, only Sir Donald Bradman has taken fewer than Smith's 59 Tests to reach 22 Test hundreds. After 108 Test innings, no-one in the history of the game has more runs, leaving the 1968 record of the great Sir Garfield Sobers’ in his wake. At 229, Smith now has his highest innings in Test cricket with his batting average touching 62. His homespun technique shows that outrageous ability, strong belief in yourself, and mental strength are as much factors as having a supposed textbook technique at this level. England’s supposed plan to get in Smith’s ear from Adelaide onwards was always likely to backfire spectacularly. They poked the bear, and now they’re sick of the sight of him.
4. England attack looking toothless
Former Ashes winning England Captain Michael Vaughn probably summed it up best when he said “I think today showed we have no swing, no seam, no pace and no spin.” Apart from that, there is nothing wrong with England's bowling attack! Right from the very first ball yesterday England appeared a side consigned to their fate. Instead of coming out creating fire, they came out in retreat mode, with a single slip for Steve Smith and three fielders dispatched to the boundary. Whether the bowlers have a say on the field, or whether this was a plan constructed by Joe Root and the hierarchy, it showed a side that were simply hoping for a mistake - a mistake from an imperious Steve Smith that would never come. Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad barely moved a ball off the straight and looked way below their best. Whilst spinner Moeen Ali managed the only wicket of the day, he is nothing but a part-timer in these Australian conditions. Craig Overton battled on strongly with a cracked rib, whilst Chris Woakes functioned rather than flourished. Both Broad and Anderson, as pace leaders, should be under pressure to hold their spots in Melbourne. However I’m not sure how much is left in the cupboard for this bedraggled bowling line up.
5. England's road woes continue
England came into this series with a vastly underwhelming record on the road over the past four years. Having been resoundingly beaten 5-0 in Australia in 2013-14, they had managed just one series victory on foreign soil from five series. These included 1-1 drawn series against the lowly West Indies and Bangladesh, as well as 2-0 and 4-0 hidings on the sub-continent against India and Pakistan. All up, including the 2013/14 Ashes, England by the end of their Perth test will have 4 overseas victories from their last 23 Tests, with 15 losses. They’re heading for an eighth straight defeat on Australian soil unless rain or a stodgy rear-guard can save them in Perth. England are not alone in their overseas struggles. However, when the ball is not darting around and swinging around corners back home, they need to address the fact that they are an average cricket side. Many hoped for a competitive and closely fought series; however the reality is becoming clear. At this stage, England would probably sign up for avoiding the dreaded 5-0 whitewash.