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Ricky Ponting needed an innings like that. His side battling for
a draw, tabloid reports of a rift with his controversial leg-spinner,
roundly criticised for his tactics, possibly the captain of the
Australian side that relinquishes the Ashes ... Fine time, Punter,
to score 156 and draw the Third Test at Old Trafford.
Momentum is this series has turned on one innings, one bowling
performance. Glenn McGrath first few overs turned it Australia's
way in the First Test. Andrew Flintoff's batting - then bowling
- turned in the Second Test. Could Ponting's highest against the
Poms be the turning point again ahead of the fourth Test at Trent
Bridge on August 25? Who knows? But it was the performance Australia
needed if they were to keep this series alive, you felt. Just
as England needed to win the Second Test to press on, you sensed
Australia could not lose this one - and Ponting ensured it didn't.
The tabloids - here and in England - would have their graphic
artists poised to draw up mock tombstones had Australia lost.
"RIP: Australian Test Team. 1989 - 2005". The heroics
of Ponting, Shane Warne, Michael Clarke, Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath
in shutting out England should not paper of the fact that Australia
was on its knees in this Test. Major surgery is required. Question
marks hang over many players. Matthew Hayden is in arguably the
worst form of his Test career, Damien Martyn is in desperate need
of a score, as is Adam Gilchrist. The big decisions require Simon
Katich to be dropped, along with Jason Gillespie. The old adage
about it being harder to be dropped from the Australian side than
picked in it is ringing loud. Shaun Tait is a livewire and should
be given a chance at first change bowler. You sense Stuart MacGill
would add something more to the bowling attack: he and Warne have
worked well against England before. What's clear is that Australia
is finally being found out for not having - or at least not paying
enough attention - to the need for a genuine all-rounder. You'd
play Shane Watson or Andrew Symonds if you didn't think it would
be such a gamble. And it would be. But these are clearly desperate
times.
And one more thing... Please tell us that someone at the ICC is
paying close attention to the umpiring in this series. Billy Bowden
should pay less attention to lame signals when he's telling the
players it's lunch and concentrate on the leg before wicket laws.
Steve Bucknor should replace his dark Ray Charles-styled sunnies
for ones from OPSM. How he did not see Damien Martyn's massive
inside edge before adjudging him leg before wicket is anyone's
guess.
The bad decisions are conspiring against each side. But Australia
doesn't need any more bad fortune than what they are making for
themselves already.
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