Ashes First Test: Australian Bowling Exposed Beyond Redemption!

We all knew that Australia would struggle to a large extent to dismiss the England batsmen on a consistent basis. The Aussies don’t have a single spinner who is capable of turning the ball to an alarming or even an average degree. Further, their pace bowlers are too predictable, making it rather difficult to dismiss a side that has someone like Stuart Broad batting at number eight. However, no one was prepared for the mauling that the Aussie bowlers are getting as I write this blog.

They have been literally massacred, reduced to looking like a bunch of school boy bowlers who have no idea what hit them...and it did hit them...I mean, each of the English batsmen has got a century or even more, making it clear to everyone that the Australian bowlers simply don’t have the firepower to dismiss a side like England twice in a test match. How the Australians plan to win the Ashes 2010 is still a mystery to me and you have a Ponting screaming out his lungs that they are going to whitewash the England side 5-0!!!

Great to have a combo of Mitchell, Bollinger and Bracken

Ricky Ponting might not make it very obvious in his post-match speeches but it is no secret that the Aussie bowling resources are reaching a remarkable level. I am particularly impressed by their left-arm riches. Just consider the fact that they have three different bowlers of this bowling style and each one bowls very differently and in fact, all of them can play together in a match though the probability of something like that happening in the near future is minimal. Bollinger comes across as a hit-the-deck sort of left-armer who seems to enjoy a bit of zest in the pitch. Bracken on the other hand is more suited to the dry surfaces since he bowls so many of those off-cutters. Now look at Mitchell Johnson, he is somewhat of a combo of these two bowlers and probably the fastest of the lot and can bat pretty well too. What is even more remarkable is the fact that just about 10 months back, the Australian bowling cupboard looked bare or that is what everyone thought and now the newest of additions like Siddle, McKay and Harris are taking wickets by the heap and Ponting must be perplexed who to leave out in a match.