Graeme Swann
When you are praying for rain during a Test match, you know for sure that you are in trouble. And when the heavens don’t listen to you, you can be rest assured that you are gone for the good. That is precisely what happened to Australia in the second Ashes test at Adelaide as they slumped to an innings and 71 run defeat.
It was all England from the first over of the match with Katich and Watson involved in a mix-up and Ponting edging his first delivery to first slip. Clarke followed his captain in the same manner in Anderson’s next over. With the score reading 2 for 3, it was Australia’s worst start in a Test match in 60 years. Watson brought up a delightful half century before Anderson struck again. North hung in for a while and Haddin made 56 but it was Hussey’s contribution of 93 that stood out as Australia crumbled to 245 on Day 1 on a batting paradise.
Bollinger got rid of Strauss in the 4th over but Cook and Trott carried on from where they had left in Brisbane as they put on a 173 run partnership. Cook brought up his 15th century while Trott fell for 78. But that brought in Kevin Pietersen, who went after the bowling and England ended Day 2 at 317/2, a healthy 72 run lead with Cook on 136 and Pietersen on 85.
If Day 2 belonged to Cook, Day 3 was going to be Pietersen’s. He quickly brought up his century, his first in 18 months and despite Cook falling for 48, Pietersen put on a 100 run partnership with Collingwood and then Bell as he got to his second Test double century. Heavy downpour didn’t allow any play in the third session and with the score reading 551/4, there was no way England could lose from here.
England batted for an hour or so on Day 4 making 59 quick runs before declaring at 620/5 and Australia were left to play five and a half sessions to save the Test. After an impressive 84 run opening stand, Swann struck two decisive blows as he got Katich and Ponting in quick succession. After getting his second half century of the match, Watson fell to Finn. Michael Clarke, struggling for form, looked to have played out the day in the company of Mike Hussey with a 104 run partnership. But then disaster struck! Clarke inside edged the last ball of the day to forward short leg and Cook snapped up a brilliant catch. The bowler was none other than Kevin Pietersen!
England needed 6 wickets on the last day to take the lead in the series and this they did in only 90 minutes. Hussey couldn’t be the savior this time as he fell for 52. North, who had a perfect opportunity to safeguard his place in the line-up, failed to capitalize as he fell for 22. Swann ripped through the tail as Australia capitulated to their first innings defeat home since 1993.
It was England’s 100th win over Australia in Tests and now need to win only 1 of the remaining 3 Tests to retain the urn and humiliate the Aussies in their own backyard.
Tags: Ashes Series, Australia, Cricket, England, Graeme Swann, Kevin Pietersen, Michael Hussey, Sports, Test Cricket, The Ashes
