Deja Vu?

[sqwerty]

McGrath takes a bag of wickets in the first test.....wins man of the match........Australia home comfortably. Very familiar. All we need now is for him to step on a ball at Adelaide.

Is history going to repeat itself? Will England bounce back?

Never thought I'd find myself thinking it but I'm kind of hoping they do.

I've been hanging out for this series like nothing else. Even took a day of leave just to watch the first day. Then found myself not even bothered to watch it on the weekend once it became so one-sided. Actually found it boring for most of it - much to my disappointment.

I can't for the life of me think that this series will be as remotely fascinating as the last one. I hope I'm wrong though but I don't think I am.

I think England will bat reasonably well for the remainder of the series. Just can't see a series dominated by the batsmen creating anything like the drama that we saw last time.

 

[NZTailender]

he first test.....wins man of the match

Ponting got MOTM.

 

[mohammad16]

england have a good chance of bouncing back if they decrease the amount of stupid shots thier batsmen play and also play panesar next match

 

[andyc]

The major difference between the two series is the fact that at Lords', Australia were bowled out for 190 in the first innings, before owning the rest of the time. At the Gabba, Australia were hardly ever not on top of the game, and no real weaknesses emerged, whilst at Lords the fact that Australia didn't make 200 was a sign of things to come.

That said, there are one or two similarities between the two series emerging-- Steve Harmison is this series' Jason Gillespie

 

[Laurrz]

Dejavu?

It was at this venue, in 1994-95, that their legend was born, once again in ridiculously futile circumstances.

That match, in fact, was an eerie precursor to this fixture. It featured, then as now, a woeful first delivery of the series (Phil DeFreitas's long-hop versus Steve Harmison's double-wide); a dismal first England innings (167 plays 157 - CJ McDermott 6 for 53, GD McGrath 6 for 50); a surprise Australian refusal to enforce the follow-on (Mark Taylor was the innovative captain back then); and a spirited late rally from England's batting (Hick and Thorpe added 160 for the third wicket; Collingwood and Pietersen 153 for the fourth).


interesting

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

The major difference between the two series is the fact that at Lords', Australia were bowled out for 190 in the first innings, before owning the rest of the time. At the Gabba, Australia were hardly ever not on top of the game, and no real weaknesses emerged, whilst at Lords the fact that Australia didn't make 200 was a sign of things to come.

That said, there are one or two similarities between the two series emerging-- Steve Harmison is this series' Jason Gillespie

Yeah, the English bowling showed fight last year but their batting limped to a painful death, whereas this time around the bowling limped and the batting showed fight.

 

[Dravid]

KP will be the key man again in the second test for England. I also expect a come back from Harmison in the second test. He will pick up a handful of wickets. You heard it here first.

 

[Matt79]

Early bid for the Greig award IMO...

 

[Dravid]

Nah, just wait a few days. You will see.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Yeah, the English bowling showed fight last year but their batting limped to a painful death, whereas this time around the bowling limped and the batting showed fight.

I think the main difference is just that last year was actually vaguely close, whereas this year was an absolute hammering. The run gap aside, Australia declared twice in the test, which is incredibly rare, and scored 80 runs per wicket. Also won with 2 sessions in hand.

It'll take a much bigger effort for England to turn it around this year IMO. Not comparable at all.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I wasn't saying it would be easier, I was just saying it wasn't exactly as Cameron told it.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

england have a good chance of bouncing back if they decrease the amount of stupid shots thier batsmen play and also play panesar next match

Batting is likely to be the least of England's concern in this series. They're 1-0 down. They can bat for the remaining 20 days of the series and still lose the Ashes. England now need to take 20 wickets in at least one match to retain the Ashes. I can't really see how they would manage that.

 

[Langeveldt]

The difference here lies with two players - Simon Jones not being there, and Mike Hussey being there..

 

[sqwerty]

The difference here lies with two players - Simon Jones not being there, and Mike Hussey being there..

Not convinced that Jones would have made THAT much difference....and while I've always maintained that Australia would have retained the Ashes if Hussey played last series I'm not so sure that he turned the game here either.

 

[sqwerty]

Early bid for the Greig award IMO...

What's that mean?....I've seen it mentioned before...Is it a Foot in Mouth award?

 

[Slow Love™]

What's that mean?....I've seen it mentioned before...Is it a Foot in Mouth award?

Yeah, bold prediction that goes horribly wrong.

I pretty much have the same opinion as Liam said earlier. I can see the England bats fighting back, but the bowling, and taking 20 Australian wickets, is likely to be a real problem. Four tests to go though, you never know. I hope they fight back too, or this is gonna get real boring.

 

[BingLeeElectric]

McGrath takes a bag of wickets in the first test.....wins man of the match......

Uncanny.

I guess I'll stop reading right there. Way to go.

 

[Tomm NCCC]

and is now an injury doubt. Thats interesting. What are the chances Ponting choses to bowl when its a batting paradise?

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

and is now an injury doubt. Thats interesting. What are the chances Ponting choses to bowl when its a batting paradise?

Like Colbert before me, if Ponting wins the toss at Adelaide and bowls, I will insert any object you care to name inside myself.

 

[Kweek]

inside yourself?

we want photo prove if that happens Sean