D-Day for Ponting and Johnson

“Rain, rain go away, come again another day”, or words to that effect, will undoubtedly be washing around Ricky Ponting’s head this morning. With the crucial third test now only 24 hours away, the grim weather forecast may match Australia’s prospects for salvaging a result from the forthcoming five days. The complexion of this series changed completely once Graeme Swann bowled Nathan Hauritz ten days ago. Whereas at tea on day five at the Swalec stadium Australia were going to win the series five nil, England are now going to win the series four nil. The domination Australia displayed for four days and two sessions at Cardiff is now a distant memory, The momentum is all England’s; once again the great and the good of Australian cricket and the press box are questioning Ricky’s captaincy – a theme Ponting will be finding tiresome after the struggles at home to South Africa this past winter.

After inclement weather prevented him from working on the pitch for much of the last two weeks, the groundsman, Steve Rouse, has already described the pitch as “jelly” and fears an under prepared strip. He said the same though in 2005 and Punter Ponting is not putting his money where the Warwickshire groundsman’s mouth is this time after being suckered into
putting England in here in 2005. The rest of that first day was spent watching Marcus Trescothick lead an English charge past 400 before the end of the day as the groundwork was laid for the dramatic denouement four days later. After looking at the pitch with his own eyes though, the Australian captain may well end up advising his selectors to give him the four seamers Rouse has recommended after all. The pitch looks like a return to the tracks that bowlersfrom all parts so loved in the 90s. If it still has the green sheen to it tomorrow morning that it currently displays then it would be a foolish or extremely confident captain who goes into the game with only three frontline quicks.

Australia, while not desperately needing to win at Edgbaston, will want to at least take the wind out of the English sails that have been billowing since Lords. To have the better of a rain effected draw may be no bad thing going into Headingley.

To this end, the gods seem to have favoured them this time. As we all know by now, Kevin Pietersen is out and Ian Bell, save for one innings against South Africa, has been uncertain at best when facing the top tier of test match bowling. Without Pietersen coming in at four the middle order suddenly seems vulnerable. KP guided a troubled Ravi Bopara through the afternoon session at Lords on day four. Could Bell do the same? Paul Collingwood, who could nearly be picked purely because he brings the best out of Pietersen when they’re at the crease together, undoubtedly loses some of his aura (if he has one) without the man from Port Elizabeth at the other end. If these three can’t put a score on the board, Matt Prior’s loose technique and overly attacking mindset means he is not someone who can be trusted to come in at six to gut out an Australian onslaught. The English middle order suddenly takes on a whole new level of
vulnerability without their best player. Andrew Strauss will be all too aware of this.

That is the positive for Australia. The major question though is even with the potentially weak middle order of England, will the Aussies have the fire power to even get that far? Mitchell Johnson’s travails have been well documented since Lords. Four wickets in four innings with an economy rate of over five might be acceptable in Twenty20. It is a disaster in test cricket.
Alistair Cooke may have a weakness against the straight ball angled into the stumps but he and Andrew Strauss maybe a compulsive hooker but both are perfectly capable of clipping leg stump half volleys through mid wicket and cutting wide long hops through point all day. At Lords they was asked to do little else by Johnson when putting together an opening stand of 196 on the
first day.

Johnson has cut a lonely figure since the second innings at Cardiff . It is not unusual for star bowlers from the southern hemisphere to struggle the first time they play in England. Even Glenn McGrath was caned by Graham Thorpe and Nasser Hussain the first test he played here in 1997. The difference between Johnson and most of the other Australian bowlers who have struggled in English conditions is that most were guilty of bowling too short initially, and they quickly rectified the problem. In 1997 McGrath followed 1/104 at Edgbaston with 8/38 at Lords. Johnson was barely been able to land it on the cut strip at Lords.

For his own sake, and for the sake of his future development, he should be dropped for Edgbaston. The lack of alternatives may see him reprieved though. Stuart Clarke is the obvious candidate but he may yet come in for Nathan Hauritz. If he does then it would be a straight choice between Johnson and Shane Watson. Watson is a better batsman but even in his current state, Johnson has more penetration with the ball. Watson is a batting all rounder to be sure but whether he can be trusted as anything more than a fourth or fifth seamer, especially given his injury history is open to question. Peter Siddle too has been full of hustle and bustle but has rarely looked like blowing through anyone on the tour to date. Only the excellent Ben Hilfenhaus has been exempt from criticism all series. It has been argued that Hilfenhaus and Clarke are too similar to have in the same attack. If that was the case then no team would want two Glenn McGraths sharing the new ball. It is an absurd argument to make. Both players can give Ricky Ponting the control he has lacked all series but especially so on day one at Lords. Not every ball need take a wicket, as McGrath himself demonstrated. A persistent line around off stump and an ability to keep it tight will always bring rewards. If only Johnson could find that combination.

If Australia’s problems with the ball can be sorted out they stand a great chance of getting the result they need at Edgbaston. Unfortunately, no matter how well they do with the ball themselves they may be denied by the weather. The forecast is horrendous until the weekend. It may be a case of gaining the ascendancy before launching an all out assault at Leeds.