Decided against staying up to watch last night, as it happens I'm off work sick today so I ended up watching a reurn of the entire day's play, ie I turned on just as KP was getting out. I figured that as it was being reran we had been rolled over and so it was, but tbh I wouldn't complain about our second dig too much. Sure, there were some stoopid shots, but there were encouraging signs, and maybe just maybe confidence will be on the up from here.
I don't wish to make excuses, and as poor as we were full credit must go to Aus who put in a truly great performance. Nonetheless, if we had put the same amount of application into our first innings as we did our second we could have gotten a draw here, which makes our collapse all the more disappointing.
I imagine Strauss will pick his game up next time out, not worried by Flintoff's batting yet (he made a worse start last year let's not forget) and I think we have a solid middle order, a very good middle order in fact (imo) and the criticism that is often directed to Bell/Collingwood is harsh, good to see them both play a good innings aiece.
Having said all that, it's difficult to see us taking twenty wickets and that's really, really worrying. I haven't considered permutations, nor do I know much about the likely surface at Adelaide, but Monty must play. He has to.
Don't think it will be five nil but this is the least optimistic I have been in a long time.