Observations from the 2014 Brisbane Test

Josh Hazlewood celebrates taking his fifth wicket in the first innings

Source: www.sports.ndtv.com

In what would be described as somewhat of a surprise.... well not really, the Australian's have won the Brisbane Test by six wickets with more than a day to spare. This is actually quite remarkable given that India scored 408 in their first innings and had Australia on the ropes at 6-247 and staring a 70-100 run deficit on the first innings. The Australian tail wagged and Australia went on to make 505 to lead by 97 and be in a very good position.

India's task was simple bat out Day 4 to establish a lead of between 300 and 350 runs, then declare and ask the Aussies to either chase the runs or bat out Day 5 for the draw. Instead the Indian top order collapsed in the first session of Day 4 as 1-76 became 5-87 and all was lost. India eventually made 224 which was never enough and Australia was set a target of 128 which was easily achieved even though six wickets were lost in the process. Australia is improving at chasing small targets of late, however there is some room for improvement.

So, what were the takeaways from this test:

• A fine debut - Josh Hazlewood made his test debut by coming into the side for the injured Ryan Harris and bowled admirably taking 5 for 68 in the first innings. This was backed up with 2-74 in India's second innings and a handy 32 with the bat in Australia's first innings. Hazlewood hits the pitch hard and has improved his ecomony rate recently which is what is required from a fast bowler. He is another one of the young generation of Australian quicks that will emerge in the next few years.
• Smith shows leadership qualities - Steve Smith was appointed captain for the remainder of the series after Michael Clarke became unavailable with a hamstring injury. Smith did not miss a beat with his field settings and lead the Australian fightback in the first innings with a much needed 133 runs. Leadership seems to come natural to Smith which bodes well for Australia's cricketing future. If there was one blemish it was his unnecessary run out in the second innings.
• The Australian tail wags... again - In what is becoming a familiar sight for the Australian's, the tail-enders contributed significantly towards the first innings total at a time when a deficit of 70-100 runs was looking very likely. This time the last four wickets contributed 258 runs to the total. In fact ten players out of eleven made double figures with only Brad Haddin missing out.
• An inspired bowling spell - Just when the game was in the balance Mitchell Johnson's first spell on Day 4 yielded 3-10 and wrecked through the Indian top and middle order. Johnson took advantage of a calamitous morning for the visitors where Dhawan was unable to bat due to a slight wrist injury he received in the nets whilst warming up pre-match. India were in disarray and then complained about the facilities... just get on with it folks it's better for the game.
• Indian collapso - The Indians have had a batting collapse in three out of their four innings this summer and continually have this problem when playing away from home. They lost 4 for 11 during the second innings in Brisbane coupled with 5 for 45 and 8 for 73 in Adelaide, which is not a great record. Unfortunately it appears as though the Brisbane collapse may have been of their own making with the problems they had in preparing for the fourth day.

Yours truly may have over estimated India's batting capabilities away from home in predicting a 2-0 series win to the Australians and now India are in real trouble of a 4-0 series whitewash. It is worth noting that Australia have not lost a test match in Brisbane since 1988 (against the West Indies) and have won 19 and drawn 7 in that time.

Observations from the 2014 Adelaide Test

Tribute to Phil Hughes at the Adelaide Test

Source: www.cricket.com.au

Well it looks like that my earlier prediction of an Australian 2-0 series victory is in doubt after only one test. The Australians won the Adelaide Test by 48 runs, but not after a spirited fight-back on the last day by India who looked like possibly snatching an unlikely victory during the day. Chasing 364 to win the match, India lost 8/73 in the final session and the test was over. It was an emotional week for cricket and especially the Australians, who I suspect will never be the same again after the death of teammate Phil Hughes.

The memory of Phil Hughes was everywhere to be seen, his baggy green number of 408 painted on the ground and every time an Australian cricketer made a milestone or took a wicket the celebration was near that number. The Australians wore shirts with No.408 embroidered on the front to respect the memory of Hughes. This victory meant everything to the team and it is possible that they may win the series 4-0 based on the emotions evident in this test. 

So what did we learn from this test?

• Batsman's Paradise - There were six hundreds made in Adelaide with Warner and Kohli making centuries in both innings which is outstanding. This suggests that the pitch was a road. But even with both sides making over 400 in the first innings a result was still produced and the game went into the last session of the fifth day.
• Emergence of the Lyon King.... (well perhaps) - Lyon's 12 wickets was a match winning effort and also resulted in his maiden 10 wicket match haul. Lyon bowled very well his 5/134 in the first innings complemented his 7/152 in the second. There were questions over his ability to close out matches which he has gone some way in answering. Lyon now has the belief that he can produce this type of effort, now he needs to do it consistently.
• Welcome to the captaincy - India's stand-in captain Virat Kohli performed outstandingly in the test, he scored centuries in both innings (115 and 141) and almost masterminded a surprise victory for India. Kohli comes across as a fighter and when he does take over the captaincy full time, he should win more than he loses with this desire to win.
• Australia's future looks good - Australia may have found three young stars in its batting order in Warner, Smith and to a lesser extent Mitchell Marsh. Warner has scored 1061 runs at 75.78 so far in 2014, but what is more impressive is his strike rate or 81.67 runs per 100 balls faced. So when Warner makes runs he makes them quickly which gives Australia a good start. Smith has scored 779 at 77.90 so far this year and shows maturity beyond his years every time he bats. Mitchell Marsh is only just starting his career but shows plenty of promise and as shown in the second innings will put the team first ahead of individual glory (Shane Watson take note !!!) 

Lastly given that the test started three days earlier than originally scheduled, it was great to see that over 113,000 people attended the match over the five days. India have some work to do in Brisbane next week and it might be difficult for them to recover from this loss. Although this might be easier with the expected absence of Michael Clarke for the rest of the series with a hamstring injury.

How will the Australian Test team fair this summer?

Phil Hughes - How will his death impact team performance?

Source:www.9news.com.au

The Australian Cricket Team would have had to do some soul searching after their tour against Pakistan in the UAE in October & November. They were outplayed by the Pakistanis in all areas of the game and were comprehensively beaten 2-0 as a result. The poor performance was highlighted by the efforts of New Zealand just a few weeks later against Pakistan where the three match series was tied 1-1 and New Zealand finished the better of the two teams. (However there could be an argument for suggesting that Pakistan may have slightly taken the foot of the pedal against the Kiwis.)

This is now insignificant given the unfortunate incident in a Sheffield Shield match at the SCG on November 25, 2014. In this match, Phil Hughes was felled by a Sean Abbott bouncer and never regained consciousness before passing away two days later. Hughes would have turned 26 three days after his death and it is always saddening to see someone pass away at a young age.

Hughes death has resulted in the Australian Test summer being changed around, the Brisbane test was moved back to December 17, the Adelaide test was brought forward to December 9 and now becomes the first test. This test will be tough for the Aussies as they come to grips with Hughes’ death. Cricket Australia have given the players the choice of playing or not and I believe that it will be more beneficial for them to play.

Australia's opponents this summer are India, who has a poor track record away from home. However this time around it may be closer than people think. For me, playing the first test in Adelaide provides India with an opportunity to grab a draw and set them up for the remainder of the series. The players have had a long preparation time in Adelaide and this will put them in good stead for that test and consequently the rest of the summer.

Normally the first test is in Brisbane and the Australians are able to take advantage of a pitch with good bounce when bowling and it is a place that once you are set at the crease then runs will flow. Australia has not lost at the Gabba since 1988 and this usually provides a good psychological advantage for the rest of the summer. But will that change if the Australians lose the first test in Adelaide especially in the wake of the tragic events of recent times?

The Adelaide pitch is more docile, but offers good reward to those who are willing to put in the effort. Players are able to score runs quickly with the short square boundaries. However the pitch will turn on the fourth and fifth days and games in Adelaide generally last the full five days. Therefore India will be more confident going into a first test in Adelaide rather than a first test in Brisbane.

The third and fourth tests are in Melbourne and Sydney respectively. Australia has won 13 out of the last 15 in Melbourne and 17 out of the last 20 in Sydney which are both imposing records. Given India’s poor form away it would appear that these tests should go in Australia’s favour. However Australia played poorly in the UAE and we are unsure how the death of Phil Hughes will impact on team performance this summer.

Essentially, I think the four test series will be 2-0 in favour of Australia with wins in Brisbane and Melbourne and draws in Adelaide and Sydney. This will be a good result for Australia in what is expected to be a tough summer for the national side.