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| Stuart Broad - The Phantom Menace © thesportreview.com |
It would appear that the Australian players and media have
made Stuart Broad angry, and they won’t like him when he’s angry. (They don’t
like him all that much anyway…)
The England fast-bowler (take note Aussie media types, he
was quick enough to unsettle your captain) took five of the eight wickets to
fall on day 1 as England took charge at the Gabba.
273/8 hardly represents a disaster for Australia, but it
took half centuries from Mitchell Johnson and Brad Haddin to keep things
presentable, and on a flat batting pitch, the score is below par.
The day started brightly for England as Stuart Broad,
selected as public enemy number one following an incident in the previous Ashes
series, dismissed Chris Rogers in the fourth over.
As the first session progressed, David Warner and Shane
Watson began to lay a platform for a good first innings total, until Broad
struck again on the stroke of lunch. With Watson out and the score 71/2 at the
break, the first session was England’s.
If the first 25 overs were edged by the tourists, the period
after lunch was a much more clear-cut success.
Two more wickets for Broad, including the prize scalp of
Michael Clarke the Australian captain, and one each for Anderson and Tremlett
saw the home side six down and in a really dire situation.
The Haddin and Johnson inspired retaliation began before the
interval, but at tea Australia were 153/6. Another session in England’s favour.
As the quick bowlers began to be rotated and rested, and
Graeme Swann led England’s bowling efforts with a softened and tired ball, the
counterattack began.
Brad Haddin was the first to 50, but Mitchell Johnson wasn’t
far behind, and his innings that included two 6s was the more eye-catching of
the two.
Haddin, unbeaten overnight, will once again take the
majority of plaudits in an Australian batting effort in the first match of an
Ashes series.
For a player that has often underwhelmed in the context of
his legendary predecessor Adam Gilchrist, his Ashes record is particularly
remarkable.
In the first test in 2009 in Cardiff, Haddin scored 121 as
Australia posted a huge total, but his 136 at this ground in 2010 was in a much
tighter game situation, and put his side in control.
It was his effort at Trent Bridge this summer that was
probably the most impressive of his Ashes-opening innings, however.
On a slow and difficult batting pitch, with teammates
crumbling around him, Haddin took his side to within 15 runs of victory.
Whilst only scoring 71 on that occasion, the wicketkeeper
managed to display all of his well-documented fighting qualities.
With the Australian press on his back, Stuart Broad
certainly stole the limelight on day 1, but Haddin’s innings made sure the
final session was Australia’s despite two late wickets, and leaves him 22 runs
shy of another Ashes hundred.
Session score: 2-1 to England
Verdict: Tourists on top despite having a phantom in the
team and a ‘boring’ captain.
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