1st Test, Day 2: Australia on verge of follow-on to Bangladesh
Yep, you read that headline right again. Things have gone from bad to worse in the 1st Test with Australia trailing Bangladesh by 282 runs with only 4 wickets in hand. With only Bangladeshi 1 wicket falling before lunch, it looked like they might bat Australia out of the match by Day 2 - something unthinkable 24 hours ago. However, Gorilla MacGilla ripped through the tail to take a career best 8 for 108 that had the Australians breathing a sigh of relief. The last 5 wickets fell for 29 runs.
Of course, MacGill will now be incorrigable leading up to the Ashes where every pitch is sure to a spinner's paradise and ideally suited to his style of bowling. At first thought to be just an intimidation tactic against the Bangaldeshis, maybe this whole 5 bowler concept could have legs. On the other hand, it's interesting to consider that the only Australia wicket takers were MacGill and Gillespie, who didn't tour South Africa. Maybe the fatigue thing is a factor. Hell, it's half a year till the Ashes - couldn't they have given them at least a week's break between series?
Australia's innings started disastrously with Hayden falling LBW for 6. Hulk has had a lean trot after his run-fest at the start of the Australian summer. Get your poor batting out of the system now Haydo, we need you peaking in November! Ponting fell not long after LBW to Shahadat Hossain for 21 - Australia were 2 for 43. When Damien Martyn played onto his stumps on the last ball before tea to take us to 3 for 50, Michael Clarke was welcomed back to Test cricket in circumstances he'd hardly have imagined in Bangladesh. Thrusting Clarke into a pressure cooker was a great way to test his mettle and see whether he'd grown enough to offer us something against England.
Things got truly desperate when Hussey played on to take us for 4 for 61. Hussey's demise was a dark moment - Mr Cricket was always Mr Dependable in situations like this. Now Adam Gilchrist came on with a long tail behind him. Could Gilly rediscover his form? When Michael Clarke was dismissed to take us to 5 for 79, I realised the horrific truth - Australia was going to be forced to follow-on against Bangladesh. Who deserves Test status now, hey, Punter?
Gilchrist batted slowly and cautiously, then suddenly exploded, lofting Mohammad Rafique over long on for six. It was nerve racking stuff. After Warne got out, Brett Lee and Gilchrist worked out a profitable arrangement. Lee stonewalled one end and Gilchrist smacked boundaries from the other. The partnership reached 28 before Lee broke his duck. They survived to stumps with Australia at 6 for 145, still 282 runs in arrears. We need 82 runs to avoid the follow-on and a Gilchrist century seems the only chance of achieving that end. How we save the Test, I don't know.
They say Australia's ODI loss to Bangladesh was the "biggest upset in cricket history". How does that compare to a Test loss, especially such a devastating one? Bangladesh's first and only Test win to date has been against #9 ranked Zimbabwe (soon to be #10, I imagine). They're on track to notch their second win against #1 ranked Australia. Ricky Ponting will no longer be known as the captain that lost the Ashes. He'll be the captain that got thrashed by Bangladesh.
| Posted by JC on Mon 10 Apr |  3 comments |
John I am disappointed to know that you have so little faith in Aussie team. Obviously Bangladesh has played very well in this match but I wouldn't bet against Australia. Over the years I have seen them in much more desperate situations than this and they found a way to win. I still think you will see a huge collapse from BD team in second innings and Australia will win this game but you have to give credit to BD for improving a lot in last one year.
Posted by MG on 2006-04-10 12:12:33
Posted by MG on 2006-04-10 12:12:33
There's always hope, particularly with Gilly still in, although it will take a VVS Laxman type of innings to get us into a winning position from here. Who knows, maybe Gilly will get a double century with Brett Lee or we'll go rampant in the second innings. But assuming the worst of your own team is a standard defensive mechanism for a cricket fan :-)
Posted by JC on 2006-04-10 14:58:21
Posted by JC on 2006-04-10 14:58:21
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