The Ashes 2013: 3rd Test, Day 1 - The Quick Flicks

After suffering another defeat in the second Test and a refreshing break, Australia were back on the Old Trafford ground for the third Test of the Ashes against England.

It wasn’t the Australian side of the first two games – this squad showed a lot of fight and the old hunger was back in their game. With a commanding batting performance, marred by yet another umpiring controversy, the Kangaroos finished Day 1 at 303/3, backed by a century from captain Clarke and half-century from Steve Smith.

Here are the quick flicks for the day:

Rogers sets the pace

Chris Rogers

Left-handed opener Chris Rogers displayed the first signs of his team’s return to good batting form as he went about his task of giving a solid start to the innings. He shared a 76-run opening stand with Shane Watson before adding another 47 with skipper Michael Clarke.

Rogers finally seemed to have got the measure of off-spinner Graeme Swann before the wily bowler trapped him in front of the wicket with a full delivery. He has now been dismissed three times to Swann – perhaps a few more adjustments to the lenses would work!

Clarke leads from the front, Cook despairs

Michael Clarke played a captain’s innings on Day one

Both the captains cut contrasting figures at the end of the day’s play.

Embattled Aussie leader Michael Clarke shored up the middle order with a defiant knock, becoming the first player from his side to score a century in this year’s Ashes.

It was vintage stuff from ‘Pup’ as he cut, pulled, drove and flicked the ball with a mixture of caution and aggression. With all-rounder Steve Smith, Clarke has raised 174 runs so far for the fourth wicket and is looking good for more.

In contrast, skipper Alastair Cook looked like a man bereft of ideas. Almost all his front-line bowlers were milked for runs by Rogers, Clarke and Smith, and the England captain also managed to waste his side’s reviews.

Still, there are four more days left in the game, and England will look to their skipper for motivation.

Dharmasena and Hill – the merry bunglers

Usman Khawaja’s dismissal added to the growing list of controversies involving DRS in this series

In the 23rd over of the innings, off-spinner Graeme Swann induced left-hander Usman Khawaja into a drive. The ball spun after landing, and there was some noise (according to the fielding side) as it passed the bat. Umpire Tony Hill adjudged Khawaja out.

The southpaw took the review, but third umpire Kumar Dharmasena seemed to see something which viewers and commentators didn’t as TV replays proved to be inconclusive. Despite Hot-Spot not showing an edge, Dharmasena upheld Hill’s decision, banking on the dubious sound, which later Snicko showed wasn’t of the ball touching the bat.

But Khawaja had to go, adding to the controversy of DRS in this series. What a merry lot of bunglers, those two match officials proved to be on Day one!

Smith joins the party

Steve Smith

Already reeling from Michael Clarke’s attack, England suffered further when all-rounder Steve Smith joined his captain after the fall of Chris Rogers’s wicket.

The fleet-footed youngster ran fast and hard between the wickets, and punished the loose deliveries offered, bringing up his fifth Test fifty, his third against the Poms. He would look to get some more time out in the middle on the second day – and it will be an invaluable experience for the youngster.

Australia are firmly in the driver’s seat in terms of putting up a huge first-innings total. England will have to bowl them out quickly if they are to entertain any hopes of coming back into this game. Over to Day two!