Second Investec Ashes
Test,Lord’s,London,July 16-19,2015
Australia, after
suffering an eye-opening defeat in the first Test, locked horns against their
traditional rivals just four days later at the Home of Cricket in the second
Ashes Test.England went into the Test match unchanged while Australia made two
changes.Haddin opted out due to family reasons and Peter Nevill was all set to
make his Test debut at Lord’s.Watson was dropped and Mitchell Marsh was drafted
in.Australia had not won an Ashes Test at Lord’s since 2005 and after suffering
a crushing defeat in the first Test were desperate to turn the things this time
around.Australia,after winning the toss, opted to bat first and got off to a
fluent start. Warner and Rogers brought up their 50-run stand in just the 12th
over and raced to 0/68 at drinks in the first session.Moeen Ali came in to bowl
the first over after drinks and Warner, after hitting couple of boundaries
early in the over, was induced into playing a false stroke and Anderson,
running backwards completed a neat catch to end the Warner’s carnage for
38.Smith joined Rogers and Australia were in a commanding position at 104/1 at
lunch on Day 1 with Rogers and Smith unbeaten on 43 and 16 respectively.
Following lunch, Rogers got to his half-century with a classic punch of the
back foot and it was his 8th fifty in last nine innings. He didn’t
convert any of last seven fifties into a hundred and it was important for Rogers,
not only for himself but also for the team’s cause to convert this fifty into a
big hundred. Learning from the mistakes of the previous Test, Smith and Rogers
consolidated on a good start and played patiently, making full utilization of
good batting conditions. Following Rogers’s suit, Smith too completed his fifty
and by the time it was Tea, Australia were in the driver’s seat at
191/1.England were wicketless in the afternoon session and they had themselves
to blame for as Bell failed to grab a difficult chance in slip cordon of Smith
when he was on 50.Post Tea, Australia were on a roll as runs started to come
far too easily and with no help from the wicket, English players started to
drop their shoulders. With Rogers on 97 and Smith on 87,there was a competition
between two as in who will get to his hundred first and with Root coming on to ball,
Smith got some quick runs and raced to his hundred when he pulled Wood for a boundary.
It was Smith’s 10th Test ton, 4th Vs England. Rogers too, soon
completed his 5th Test hundred and was a relieved man, finally,
getting there to three figures after a long, long time.
Following their hundreds,
both Smith and Rogers marched on and their partnership continued to get bigger
and better. At Stumps on Day 1, Australia had posted mammoth 337 runs on the
board and Warner’s dismissal was the only success that England had. Rogers was
unbeaten on 158 and Smith was 129 not out as the duo made a strong statement in
response to England’s victory at Cardiff.
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| Rogers exults after getting to his hundred |
The first ball of Day 2, Anderson to Rogers
and Rogers paid the penalty for taking eyes off the ball as ball thrashed into
his helmet and luckily for him, nothing happened especially after he suffered concussion
just a month and a half before. Rogers was able to get over that nasty blow but
managed to add just 15 runs to his overnight score before he was cleaned up for
his career best 173.Rogers’s downfall brought an end to a majestic 284 run
stand between him and vice-captain Smith. Skipper Clarke who came at the fall
of Rogers’s wicket didn’t last long as he was caught at square leg, trying to
pull Wood, just for 7.In the meanwhile, Smith brought his 150 and at lunch on
Day 2,Australia were 424/3.Australia’s No.5,Adam Vogues was the next man to go
as he was dismissed in just the second over after lunch for 25.Broad got his
third scalp when Mitchell Marsh was bowled for 12,becoming the first case of
drag on of the Test as the ball kept a bit low and Australia were reduced to
442/5.Wicket-Keeper batsman Peter Nevill on his debut, coming at No.7,got off
the blocks quickly and runs started to come quickly for Australia, thereby
indicating the first signs of declaration. Smith got to his double-century with
a boundary off Moeen Ali and received a standing ovation from the packed crowd
at the Home of Cricket.
Smith, soon after his double-hundred, perished, trying
to play an extravagant reverse sweep for brilliant 215 and by then Australia had
well past beyond 500.Just an over after Tea, Clarke declared the Australian
innings at massive 566/8 and that meant England were left to face as many as 29
overs before the close of play on Day 2.
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| Smith acknowledges the crowd after his double hundred |
England got off to a
worst possible start as opener Lyth edged just the second ball of the innings
and peter Nevill grabbed maiden catch of his Test career and England were one
down with no score on the board. Johnson, who took a long time to take his
first wicket in the first Test, required just 3 balls to take his first scalp
this time around as he bowled out of form Garry Ballance for 23 with a ball
that kept a bit low. In the very next over, from the other end,Hazzlewood
produced a jaffer to get rid of Ian Bell and England were reeling at
29/3.
In-form Joe Root was the fourth batsman to fall as Johnson’s rising
delivery did the trick and England were in doldrums at 30/4.The wicket that
looked flat and docile when Aussies batted,suddenly started to produce some
demons as England found it tough to bat on.Stokes joined Cook and fortunately
for England, the duo survived the remainder of the day as England went into
Stumps on Day 2 at 85/4.
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| Mitchell Johnson is ecstatic after dismissing Joe Root cheaply |
Perfect conditions
welcomed one and all at the Home of Cricket on Saturday, Day 3 of the Test
match and stokes and England got to a streaky start with a boundary that flew
through the vacant gully region. Except that, Stokes played well and brought up
his fifty, just off 67 balls with an elegant boundary through the extra-cover region.
Cook followed Stokes and brought up his fifty as well. Cook’s half century was
a patient knock that hold the England innings together when wickets were
tumbling at other end and his solidity was an ideal foil to go with Stokes’s
free-flowing innings. Just when it looked like Cook and Stokes’s partnership
was blossoming and with barely 15 minutes to lunch, Marsh brought an end to
Stokes’s knock. Stokes became the second case of drag-on and his dismissal
brought an end to a solid 145-run stand between him and Cook and at lunch on Day
3, England were in a critical position at 181/5, still needing 186 runs to
avoid the follow-on.Stokes’s downfall opened the floodgates for Australia and Australia
further tightened the screws as there was no significant partnership for
England following Cook and Stokes’s stand.Buttler departed for 13 and Cook’s
hard fought innings was ended by Mitch Marsh.
Cook was out for 96 and fell
agonizingly short of what could have been a brave and fighting hundred.
Following Cook’s departure, Australia wasted no time in taking remaining three
wickets and England were bundled out for 312 shortly after Tea on Day 3.
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| Cook is completely distraught after getting out for 96 |
In spite of leading by
254 runs, Clarke decided against enforcing the follow-on and Australian openers
Rogers and warner came out to bat in 2nd innings. The duo were in
full flow and completely dominated the English attack as Australia reached
108/0 at stumps on Day 3,leading England by 362 runs.
On Day 4,just after 2nd
over of the day, Chris Rogers suffered from dizziness and was forced to retire
hurt on 49.Warner,who resumed the day on 60,in a bid to score some quick runs,
perished for 83,trying to hit one shot too many. Smith played an entertaining innings
of 48 ball 58 and at 254/2, Australia declared, setting England improbable 509
runs to win.
England’s performance
in second innings was horrendous, dreadful and their display with the bat
certainly reminded us of their batting debacle of Sydney Test of 2013-14 Ashes
series as their innings lasted barely for 37 overs and were shot out for mere
103.What’s worst?Johnson and Co. opened their previous wounds as English
batsmen continued to repeat their mistakes. Cook got out in a similar fashion,
chasing a wide one and Keeper Nevill took a regulation catch. Bell’s woes with
the bat continued as he was dismissed cheaply yet again.Stokes’s dismissal was
a school-boy style run out as his bat and feet, both were in the air, trying to
avoid the throw.Moeen Ali’s problems with the short ball continued as he had no
clue about the nasty bouncer from Johnson and ball popped up in the air, nicely
for the man at short leg.Buttler played a loose stroke and newcomer Lyth and Balance
were going nowhere with their technique and shot selection. Broad was the only
batsman to score more than 20 and four players were out for single digit scores.
Mitchell Johnson, man of the last Ashes Series, led the way for Australia with
3 wickets in the innings and 6 in the match as England suffered a humiliating
405-run defeat. The victory helped Australia square the series 1-1.
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| Australian team thanks the crowd for their support |
SCORES:
AUSTRALIA 566/8d & 254/2d
ENGLAND 312 & 103
AUSTRALIA WON by 405
runs.
AUSTRALIA LEVEL the
series 1-1.
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