Ashes 2013-14: Can Australia inflict a whitewash on England?

Shane Watson, Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin of Australia celebrate

Australia have pummeled England to win the second Ashes Test in Adelaide by 218 runs. The win was very convincing with Australia clearly doing much better than their opponents in all the three departments. The biggest factor was their positive attacking batting, combined with the threatening pace of Mitchell Johnson, who has made the biggest difference to the Australian Test squad.

Australia batted first and scored a mammoth 570/9 in the first innings. The English attack looked pedestrian, with no bowler looking a real threat to take wickets. Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin scored 200 runs for the sixth-wicket partnership in just 50 overs, which meant Australia were well ahead in the Test match on the second day itself, when Clarke departed with the score at 457. The lower order combined well with Haddin to score 123 runs in the last 22 overs.

The big picture is that the Australian batting is looking great again, with David Warner, Michael Clarke, George Bailey and Brad Haddin all looking in good form. They are playing positive attacking cricket, using their feet against the spinners and not allowing any English bowler to dominate. The cobwebs of the last Ashes series are gone, and a fresh new approach is clearly visible. This will stand them in good stead for the rest of the Ashes campaign.

When England came in to bat, the pitch looked entirely different as Mitchell Johnson bowled a fiery opening spell. He consistently bowled 90+mph and clean bowled the English skipper Alastair Cook in the second over of the English innings. The biggest session, quite possibly of the entire Ashes series, was the second session on day 3 when Mitchell Johnson produced one of the best Ashes spells in history.

In a spell of great hostility which broke England’s resistance, he ran through the English middle and lower order. The dismissals of Matt Prior and Graeme Swann were beautifully planned and executed. First he peppered them with short pitched stuff, which clearly unsettled them. Then he followed it up with full deliveries to get them out in the slip cordon. England simply folded up under the onslaught and were dismissed for 172 in their first innings.

From there onwards, it was always an uphill battle, and the Aussies completed a thumping victory on the morning of the fifth day to take a 2-0 lead in the series.

Looking ahead, it’s Mitchell Johnson again who looks like causing the maximum damage to the Englsih batting line-up. He seems to have rediscovered his best form, reminding viewers of the famous 2008 series in South Africa, where he broke many ribs and bones on the way to winning the series 2-1 for Australia.

In Test cricket history, nothing has caused more damage and won more matches than fast bowling that is well directed. When a batsman’s concern is more about preventing injury than scoring runs, it can have a detrimental effect on their entire mindset and approach. The England batsmen against Johnson currently look in similar mental state.

Johnson’s current form would be very hard to counter for any English batsman. Facing balls coming at your ribs and chest at 150 kmph is near impossible for most batsmen. The English batsmen already seem to be in awe of Johnson and their psyche is clearly damaged. Recovering from this state would take something extraordinary from the English team.

The picture is even murkier ahead. The next Test would be played on the fastest Australian pitch of them all, in Perth, and Johnson would be licking his lips at bowling a few overs there. The English batsmen would be needing all the protective gear they can get, as a few bones might be broken looking at Johnson’s current hot streak.

Australia should dominate in Perth to seal the Ashes there;.it’s hard to see England coming back now in this Ashes series and an Australian domination is on the cards for the rest of the summer, led by the enigmatic Mitchell Johnson. A most likely prediction of the Ashes score-line would be a 5-0 Aussie whitewash, as the scars of the pasting England have received at the hands of Johnson at Brisbane and Adelaide appear very deep.