The Ashes 2013: 1st Test, Day 2 - The Quick Flicks

Stung by swing and spin

James Anderson’s reverse swing broke Aussies’ back

When Australia resumed on Day 2 of the 1st Ashes Test, the conditions seemed to have eased off. There was no swing on offer for Finn and overhead conditions were perfect for batting. Steven Smith started off well but Anderson changed it all.

A couple of overs into the day, Anderson unleashed his most potent weapon – the reverse swing. Hiding the ball with his other hand, a la Zaheer Khan of ‘07-11, he kept the shiny side away from the batsman. Smith was the first one to nick the reverse swinging away delivery to Prior.

Swing had shown its presence, now it was the turn of spin. Graeme Swann’s first delivery to Haddin turned 7 degrees, coming in from outside the off stump, missing Haddin’s back-foot cut and dislodging the bail of the off-stump for a second time in the innings.

Next up, Anderson delivered an incoming delivery, which Siddle blocked. The following delivery though, held its line and even moved, though only a hint, away from the batsman. Prior had dropped a tough chance off Swann in the previous over. This time though, he held onto the ball, going away from him as he dived to his right.

Swann dropped an easy chance off the 3rd ball Starc faced off Anderson. But for the next one from Jimmy, Starc found the edge and Prior made no mistake this time.

Swann got Pattinson next, plumb in front, after a couple of close shouts, and at 117/9, it looked all but over for the Aussies.

The ‘what if’ moment for Agar

A dejected England after a stumping appeal against Ashton Agar was turned down

Ashton Agar, all of 19 years and with 10 first class matches experience, had a heart-in-mouth moment when a close call from third umpire Marais Erasmus went his way against a Swann appeal for stumping.

He was on 6 then.

The implications of this decision were huge, to say the least.

Agar tum na hote

A dream innings for the debutant

At 19 years of age, Ashton Agar has left a lasting impression on #TheAshes. The details of his performance will be talked about in many articles in future. But the teenager, yes, a teenager, has left a lasting impression on the historic series.

Agar made the highest score by a no. 11 batsman. He came within 2 runs of being the first batsman batting at the last position in a line-up to score a hundred and was involved in a world-record 163-run partnership with Phillip Hughes, whose contribution was well, swept under the rug by popular media.

Michael Clarke‘s team needed a miracle to challenge England. They didn’t plan to have Agar in their XI at the onset of their plans for the Ashes. But Ashton Agar has provided them with the miracle. Whether they can make the most of it remains to be seen.

The heartbreak

Ashton Agar fell 2 runs short of becoming the first no. 11 batsman to score a Test century

Ashton Agar made 98 and deserved to get a century, but a short ball put an end to all the hopes of fans and family alike, as Graeme Swann pouched a low chance in the outfield. Incidentally, he was the only England player to congratulate the youngster when he reached the boundary ropes.

Hat-trick chance for Starc, again!

Mitchell Starc missed two hat-trick opportunities

In the first innings, Mitchell Starc was on a hat-trick when he dismissed Bairstow and Finn off consecutive deliveries. James Anderson avoided the hat-trick by leaving alone a delivery outside the off-stump.

In the second innings, Starc again was in the same situation as he dismissed Joe Root and Jonathan Trott off successive deliveries, though the former was a dubious decision.

He had to wait for 20 minutes to get a chance at claiming a hat-trick as tea-break was taken after Trott’s wicket, but again a wide delivery outside the off-stump meant it was a lost chance.

When Hot-spot went cold

Jonathan Trott felt hard done by despite the availability of technology

Jonathan Trott’s dismissal in the 2nd innings was a dubious one.

Starc appealed for an LBW but the umpire wasn’t convinced. Michael Clarke asked for a decision review and the decision was overturned when conclusive proof couldn’t be gathered to ascertain an edge.

But the problem in the decision lay in the unavailability of the Hot-Spot from a side angle. On the previous ball, Joe Root had supposedly edged a fine one to the keeper’s hands. The technicians/third umpire were preparing for a replay of the previous delivery when Starc appealed against Trott.

Apparently, Hot-Spot can only record/play a recording at one point of time and the side-angle was thus unavailable as Root’s replay was being played. There was a bit of deviation before the ball hit Trott’s pad but when Snicko didn’t reveal an edge, the third-umpire gave the decision in favour of the bowler.

It’s quite an interesting issue put forward by this incident. It wasn’t as big an issue with Hot-Spot’s credibility as it was with its usage. More than the technology, it’s its mastery by the humans who take the final call, which is of paramount importance here.