Australia bounce back with huge 405 runs win to level the Ashes 1-1

Australia bounce back with huge 405 runs win to level the Ashes 1-1: For once if anybody thought that the Ashes would follow the predictable pattern of the home side’s dominance, they were surely given a shock which will take time to recover from. Many said that the big win in the opener meant that England would pretty much be in the driver seat throughout the series. But look how things have changed in a matter of few days.

After a totally one-sided win for England at Cardiff, Australia return the favour big time at Lord’s. It’s perfectly set-up. One can clearly see that England are hurt by this loss. They would want to come afresh and begin win at Edgbaston. To put in Cook’s words, ‘the first couple of days of the next Test match is going to crucial.’ So how quickly can England leave this thrashing behind? Can they recover in time for Birmingham? In a way it’s good that there is a 9-day gap for the next Test match.

In the end, it was a 405-run annihilation, but there were all sorts of other figures that highlighted just how dominant Australia was in the Lord’s Test. England claimed 10 wickets in the match; Australia took 20. England scored 415 runs in the match; Steven Smith and Chris Rogers between them made 495. England had to survive five sessions to salvage a draw; they lasted just 37 overs. Ultimately, only two numbers mattered: 1-1.

On a flat wicket, Australia have managed to take 20 wickets and finished the game 40 minutes after tea on Day 4. This is simply outstanding. A slow pitch worked for England at Cardiff and the ploy to prepare an even slower wicket at Lord’s has backfired spectacularly. Skipper Alastair Cook has already said that he ‘would like to see a good old English wicket at Edgbaston.

So England haven’t won two Tests in a row in recent times. Against West Indies, they won the second Test but lost the third. Against New Zealand they won the first Test but lost the next and now they won at Cardiff but lost badly here. That’s three series in a row and that’s concerning for an England fan.

But as we have learnt after Cardiff, things can change quickly. Do not assume that Australia will again dominate in Birmingham. Michael Clarke normally calls heads at the toss but for a change he uttered tails and had the coin on his side. Choosing to bat first on a seemingly dead deck was pretty much a no brainer. However no runs come easy and you still have to go out in the middle and fight it out.

Clarke’s declaration shortly before lunch meant a victory target of 509 for England. In a disastrous middle session they lost five wickets for 57 runs. They needed some magic but found themselves be – Mitched, as Mitchells Johnson, Starc and Marsh all claimed important wickets.

Their problems started when Adam Lyth edged behind for 7 off Starc, the victim of a fine ball that bounced and moved away, but also of his own poor judgment – it was a ball he could have left. Alistair Cook wafted at one and was tamely caught behind off Johnson for 11, and Gary Ballance managed 14 before he also edged behind, this time off a short rising ball from Marsh.

None of the batsmen looked especially comfortable, and Johnson sent down the odd nasty bouncer to keep them guessing. But it was not just the pace that caused problems – Ian Bell found an inside edge that flew up to short leg off Lyon for 11.

After tea things moved on even quickly. Jos Buttler edged the first ball of the session, off Johnson, behind to Peter Nevill, who pouched his seventh catch of the match and equalled the all-time record for wicketkeeping catches on debut, although the dismissal record of eight remained out of reach. Four balls later, Moeen Ali fended a fearsome bouncer to short leg.

At seven down, it felt as though Johnson might need just three more balls to finish the job, such was his venom. But Stuart Broad survived a few overs before he drove Lyon on the up to cover for 25, which turned out to be England’s highest score. Josh Hazlewood finished the procession by bowling both Root for 17 and James Anderson for a duck.

The odd ball had stayed a touch low, but there was nothing wrong with this pitch. On day four, it still felt like a pretty good day-two surface, and England could not blame the conditions for their collapse. Steve Smith finished with an aggregate of 273 runs for the match, the second highest by any batsman in a Lord’s Test, behind the 456 that Graham Gooch compiled in 1990, when he made 333 and 123.

There will be plenty of time for course correction over the next week and a half before Edgbaston, and both teams would look to take the initiative for it could well be the deciding surge.

Brief Scores:

Australia- 566/8d (C Rogers 173; S Broad 4-83) &

254/2d (D Warner 83; M Ali 2-78), won by 405 runs

England- 312 (A Cook 96; M Johnson 3-53) &

103- (S Broad 25; M Johnson 3-27) 37.0 overs.