The Ashes Chronicle: What on Earth Happened at the Gabba?

Where was this Gabbatoir as the Aussies had so affectionately nicknamed the Gabba. Where was Mitchell Johnson? Where was Ben Hilfenhaus? And why did the selectors pick Xavier Doherty? I predicted that the Aussies would win this series, and there is just enough evidence on the Gabba to stay with my pick, however the Aussie bowlers must be ruing the coming test at the batters paradise that is, the Adelaide Oval.

I’ve just read an article from the Sydney Morning Herald where Michael Clarke has enlisted the help of Ricky Ponting for some batting tips. Am I the only one who finds it odd that first, what is the point of Dene Hills being signed on and then Clarke goes and gets help from the out of sorts Ponting, and what is Ponting doing giving Clarke throw downs? I would suggest that he should be working on his own batting.


If you didn’t see what happened at the Gabba, England won the toss and elected to bat, then getting rolled for 260. Australia made 481 in reply with Mike Hussey getting 195, before England replied with a truly miraculous 1-517 with Andrew Strauss and Jonathon Trott getting centuries, and Alastair Cook (pictured right, with Trott) notching up an unbeaten double hundred. England then put Australia in for about 40 overs but nothing came about with the match meandering towards a draw.

Going into Friday’s test in Adelaide, England must be the more confident side. I really think that England’s batters are too good for Australia’s current bowlers (having said that, I think that Australia’s batters are too good for England’s bowlers also), and Australia must make changes before Friday. Doug Bollinger should be brought in for Ben Hilfenhaus (he is an average bowler who should not be opening the bowling), and Ryan Harris should be brought in to replace Xavier Doherty. Marcus North showed that he is just as good as Doherty in his limited chances in England’s second innings claiming the wicket of Strauss, and that way you have an extra pace bowler to give Shane Watson less of the workload so he can concentrate on his batting. That gives Australia an attack of Bollinger, Harris, Peter Siddle, Johnson, Watson, and North. Much better than that at the Gabba.

Whoever loses the toss in Adelaide has no chance of winning the game. The side who wins the toss will bat first, and more than likely, rack up 400+. I don’t think either bowling unit is good enough to knock over the team batting first cheaply. Unless someone does something like the medieval looking Siddle managed at the Gabba...