2009 Ashes, 1st Test, Day 2: Deconstructing Ricky Ponting

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When Mitchell Johnson's opening spell on Day 1 was flat and insipid, Ricky Ponting responded by spelling him after only 3 overs. I was surprised and impressed. Ponting as a captain tends to let things drift. This on the other hand smacked of nimble and decisive captaincy, positively Vaughanesque, a trait I'd not associated with Ponting before. Could this be a new phase in his captaincy?

The second session disabused me of that notion. England didn't lose a wicket throughout the entire session. The only thing they looked like losing was consciousness as Ponting brought on an interminable spell of tame off-spin from Hauritz, topped off with some equally soporific part-timers from Michael Clarke. I don't blame Nathan Hauritz. He can't help being crap. My main concern is Ponting's captaincy. Punter gave the bowlers no support - the field spread to the boundaries and the batsmen allowed to pick off singles at will. Suddenly the game was drifting faster than a limbless man in a rip tide.

I've been struggling to understand the strategy. Why bring on Hauritz then spread the field with no chance of taking a wicket? I have a few theories. Firstly, he could be trying to sabotage Hauritz's career, ensure he never plays Test cricket again. He's already managed to eliminate Jason Krezja and Bryce McGain. After all, Ponting has never known how to captain spinners. For most of his captaincy, Warnie was able to captain himself. Perhaps he's worried another Shane Warne will emerge to threaten his leadership position.

Kevin Pietersen is on to this strategy - he's been talking up Hauritz as a "clever bowler", obviously concerned Hauritz might get dropped for the next Test. Who else would Pietersen milk easy runs from? But surely that strategy is too unAustralian for even Ponting. Then again, he is from Tasmania.

No, more likely this is some half-baked scheme to dismiss Pietersen. Pietersen is arrogant, strutting around the pitch, catching the cricket ball when it's thrown back at the stumps. Someone should check Viv Richard's pulse - perhaps he died and his spirit entered Pietersen. Obviously, Australia have chosen to capitulate in the face of such a dominant player. Like those marsupials that pretend to be dead to escape predators. Perhaps by bowling an unthreatening offspinner with even less threatening field settings (and throwing in a part-timer at the other end), they hoped to work Pietersen into such a state of arrogance and complacency, he'd play a ridiculous self-terminating shot like sweeping the ball from two feet outside off stump. The shot was so ludicrious, I have trouble recalling playing such an awful shot, including backyard cricket. Most amusing is Pietersen's take on his dismissal. He blamed his helmet:

"When you get out, you're out, you can't do anything about it. It could have gone down to fine leg and I'd have got away with it, but it hit my helmet and I was out. You guys look a lot deeper into it than I do. I got out. I don't think I pre-empted the shot, he maybe outfoxed me a little bit. But it was just unfortunate it hit me on the head."

Kevin, it wasn't the helmet that was the problem. It was what was going on inside the helmet that was your undoing. So perhaps that was Australia's strategy. Traditionally, mental disintegration is applied through sledging and pressure. Mental disintegration Ponting style is applied through tedium and capitulation.

But this is where it makes even less sense. Why use the same strategy on Collingwood? I'm a Collingwoodesque type batsman - prefering to nudge and nurdle the ball around, accumulating runs. If I went out to face some mediocre finger spinner with the field spread, I would be delighted to push the ball around for singles, building runs while comfortably getting my eye in. Unfortunately I've never played against a captain stupid enough to employ that strategy.

Were the Australians too lazy to change field positions when the batsmen changed ends. This happens at our club cricket games when a left hander and right hander are at the wicket. We never usually have a third man except when the left hander takes a single and fine leg can't be bothered running all the way to the other side of the field. Fair enough at B grade club level. Test level, maybe a little lazy.

Let's just hope he doesn't let the English tail wag this morning. I want those guys back in the pavilion asap so I can watch the spectacle of Phil Hughes versus the much vaunted English bowling attack, before I inevitably doze off in the early hours of the morning.

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Posted by JC on Thu 9 Jul

21 comments

That afternoon session was an odd passage of play. It was playing into Collingwood's hands entirely, but all I could assume about the thinking with Pietersen was that they were just waiting for him to do something silly. He mainly gets out to fast and straight yorkers from the quicks which take him by surprise (and he had a fair few of them to deal with yesterday) or by doing something ambitious/stupid against the spin. I nearly always find myself defending him - buying into the 'but that's how he plays' theory - but even I, with my limited batting skills, would know to pull out of a shot which requires you to be so off balance as you stretch to reach it.

Also, don't know if anyone noticed, but he didn't look 100% comfortable running between the wickets - he was effective enough, but the cameras caught a rather pained expression on his face a couple of times. How that achillies holds out could well be one of the stories of the summer. I think he is the one player we can't do without.

I think you guys shaded yesterday, but if we can get up to 400 I'll be happy. I felt a combination of bad recent Ashes memories, playing you on reputation and being nervous ensured some shaky moments for the top order, but that free scoring stand between Prior and Flintoff will have eased the team into the series - in a kind of similar way to Lord's 05, when Pietersen was the only batsman to express himself and not merely capitulate at the sight of the Aussie bowlers. Today should be very interesting...

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Posted by Rich on 2009-07-09 19:23:53

Hauritz goes for 16 off his first over of the day... 2nd over goes for 10 runs...

This from a containing offspinner. Suddenly Bryce McGain is looking good

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Posted by JC on 2009-07-09 20:51:39

Swann and Anderson's 50 partnership came off 38 balls. 66 runs in the first 9 overs! crazy stuff. Monty in now though, Hughes and Katich can pad up...

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Posted by Rich on 2009-07-09 21:00:06

Our lower order really has shown the way. Prior, Flintoff, Broad and Swann have shown some aggression and fluency. I think they've been able to play Hauritz how Pietersen wanted to (ie, go after him) but didn't dare to at 90-3. Not that his sensible approach applied to the last shot of his innings...

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Posted by Rich on 2009-07-09 21:04:32

Wicket off a no-ball. memories of 2005...
All over. England out for 435, and I'm rueing my decision to stay at home this morning, having spent the whole of yesterday in the pub. Interesting passage of play coming up...

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Posted by Rich on 2009-07-09 21:17:16

Great morning for England. No one got over 70, but we scored well over 400. Crucially, it was turning quite a lot for Hauritz...

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Posted by Rich on 2009-07-09 21:18:46

English bowlers bowling short at Hughes but too wide, 17 runs off Australia's first 2 overs

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Posted by JC on 2009-07-09 21:35:06

It freaks me out seeing Phil Hughes expose his stumps like that but it doesn't half work for him, rollicking along. Exciting and entertaining to watch. Graeme Swann about to come on. Will be interesting to see how much turn he gets

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Posted by JC on 2009-07-09 21:50:46

Phil Hughes breaks all the rules of a left hand opening batsman. The bowlers are targeting the corridor of uncertainty which 99% of opening batsmen will let through to the keeper. Hughes is going after all of them and scoring a heap of runs.

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Posted by JC on 2009-07-09 21:55:27

Phew, Australia survive to lunch 0 for 39. Great first session, 138 runs added. Flintoff vs Hughes after the lunch break, I imagine. Won't be going to sleep just yet...

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Posted by JC on 2009-07-09 22:01:30

Flintoff's 1st over was like time travelling back to 2005. Beautiful bowling, what Broad and Anderson should've been doing before lunch. Fast, intimidating, accurate, love the sledging.

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Posted by JC on 2009-07-09 22:46:16

This is the first I've seen of Stuart Broad. Something about him really rubs me up the wrong way. It might be the pretty boy looks or the fact that he looks like he spends way too much time on his hair.

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Posted by JC on 2009-07-09 22:48:32

Hughes out, caught behind off Flintoff. Really weird technique, he played one shot against Broad where he cleared the front leg like he wanted to smash towards cow corner. The innings had a feeling of inevitability to it, he's playing with pure eye, not technique. Wonder if he will succeed in English conditions

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Posted by JC on 2009-07-09 23:13:04

Australia win the 2nd session - 103 runs, only 1 wicket. Great stuff. I'm off to bed, just two nights into the ashes and I'm already struggling. Hope to wake up tomorrow morning to the news of Ponting and Katich centuries!

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Posted by JC on 2009-07-10 00:42:10

JC - Couldn't have put the summary of 1st days play better than you have. If not for Brain fade that KP has Aussies would have been out of the game on Day one.
Ponting and his inspid leadership, couldn't have put it better, he seems to just go through the motions, rather than taking initiative.. Batters are doing good job so far on Day 2

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Posted by unsuidojo on 2009-07-10 01:32:41

A ton each for Katich and Ponting just before stumps after Rodney Hogg said "no-one will get a hundred on this pitch" at the start of play.

Punter did what he does best while Kato (or whatever his silly nickname would be) served up the same demoralising drives and pull-shots for the Pommie attack. Ponting a little nervous on 98 and 99, but they leave the field on 1-249, both looking good for 200 each.

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Posted by virtualgaz on 2009-07-10 03:20:23

Ponting played a horrendous shot on 98, but it was complete control from the two and if one of them goes on past 200 Australia are looking good. The wearing pitch looks like it should produce a result.

England's much talked about spin attack have to pull off something special tommorow to keep Australia down, but there's talk about bad weather on Day 4, so England still need the old ally to bail them out once again.

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Posted by Ajesh Nag on 2009-07-10 05:42:43

Hughes is exciting, he has an amazing ability to move his feet around the crease and will do enormous damage to bowlers in the long term. I have not seen such talent since Ponting first arrived on the scene. Sure he will go through a process of becoming more discriminating but for a twenty year old he is awesome. His driving, cutting and reflexes are something else and he is going to provide some big headaches for bowlers over the next 15 years!!!!

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