It’s pretty extraordinary that we haven’t beaten the Aussies in 75 years at HQ. That’s a long time, which includes Australia’s decade of mediocrity in the 1980s. Wait, no more gloating. Enough of that has happened already, and there is at least one Australian whose feelings I care about enough to want to mock him in person.
Is there anything to learn from this, other than England good, and Australia bad? Australia can point to dodgy umpiring, a sort of mass psychosis whereby all their batsmen forgot how to pull the ball, shoddy Mitchell Johnson bowling, and a hangover from Cardiff. Thankfully for them, they weren’t beaten by a better team, because England aren’t a better team, Australia are, but only just. What needs to happen? They shouldn’t drop Johnson. It will send a terrible message, and deprive them of their best bowler (assuming he bowls decently). One poor test match for the majority of the team should lead to chiding and little else. The problem now is what to do when Brett Lee comes back into contention for the next Test. The temptation is to drop Siddle, who for all his snarling, is a worse bowler in England than the excellent Hilfenhaus. Australia will regroup, because neither Ponting nor their back-room staff are mugs, but they need to do it mighty soon.
On the other hand, England have little to worry about aside from Pieterson’s rib. A straight swap of Pieterson for Bell is probably in order, although a bold England might consider dropping Bopara. Again I wouldn’t, as I think England’s batting depth doesn’t warrant losing both Bopara and Pieterson. However, if Pieterson plays, I’d play Bell at three. He’s had his time away, and I’d like to see him learn to become our version of Michael Clarke, and not just our version of Daryl Cullinan.
