Published: Aug 05, 2013, 05:35 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 05, 2013, 05:35 PM (IST)
Ryan Harris picked up two wickets in the morning session of Day Five © Getty Images
By Sarang Bhalerao
Aug 5, 2013
England are precariously positioned at 35 for three against Australia in the morning session of Day Five of the third Ashes Test at Old Trafford. Australia were all over England as they had wickets of Alastair Cook (0), Jonathan Trott (11) and Kevin Pietersen (8). Joe Root (13 not out) and Ian Bell (2 not out) were the unbeaten batsmen. Ryan Harris (two for 13) and Peter Siddle (one for six) were Australian wicket-takers.
Australia declared the innings on their overnight score and set England a target of 332 in possibly 98 overs. There was a sense of purpose in the way Australia took the field on the final day morning. Harris began the proceeding bowling a maiden over to Cook while Mitchell Starc bowled a tight first over to Root.
In the third over, Harris bowled an outswinger to Cook who failed to negotiate the prodigious movement. Cook was unbalanced as he tried to play the ball and was trapped right in front of the wicket. Umpire Tony Hill declared Cook out — a decision which was challenged. But replays suggested that Cook was leg-before and Australia were off to an ideal start.
Harris was on a role. He was bowling wide of the off-stump consistently and occasionally bowling full to Jonathan Trott to catch him off-balance. The strategy almost worked as Trott missed the full ball. Australia appealed but Hill declared Trott not-out. Australia went for the review but since less than 50 per cent of the ball was hitting the leg-stump Trott survived. But he ran out of luck in Harris’s next over — his seventh straight over — as a full leg-stump ball was glanced too fine. Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin held on to the catch safely and Australia were right on top.
Peter Siddle found Joe Root’s outside edge in his first over but Michael Clarke standing at the third-slip dropped the catch. In Siddle’s next over he had Kevin Pietersen for eight. Umpire Hill declared Pietersen out which was reviewed. Hot-spot found no edge but there was a noise the moment ball passed the bat. Pietersen was shocked; England balcony was visibly shaken.
Root and Bell steadied England innings till lunch. Australia will be eager to put pressure on English batting and make a comeback in the Ashes.
Brief scores:
Australia 527 for 7 decl. (Chris Rogers 84, Michael Clarke 187, Steven Smith 89; Graeme Swann 5 for 159) and 172 for 7 decl. (David Warner 41; Tim Bresnan 2 for 25) lead England 368 (Alastair Cook 62, Kevin Pietersen 113, Ian Bell 60; Peter Siddle 4 for 63) and 35 for 3 (Joe Root 13*; Ryan Harris 2 for 13) by 297 runs.
(Sarang Bhalerao hails from a family of doctors, but did his engineering. He then dumped a career in IT with Infosys to follow his heart and passion and became a writer with CricketCountry. A voracious reader, Sarang aspires to beat Google with his knowledge of the game! You can follow him on Twitter here)
