Whoops...

Well, that could've gone better, couldn't it?

We've gone from having the Aussies exactly where we want them, to being in desperate trouble. In a couple of sessions. Lost six middle order wickets for nine runs. It's difficult to recover from that sort of collapse, particularly against an Australian team that are properly fired up for this series. There's been no drastic changes in personnel after they were soundly beaten at our place, but they've had a chance for the new coach to settle into the role, and they're not going to let this advantage slip.

It was an odd night. The laptop was on Sky Sports all night, with headphones plugged in so the sound was, effectively, off while got some sleep. I woke and watched bits and pieces, about twenty minutes at a time here and there. An hour or so's sleep was enough for the England innings to go from decent if not exactly stellar, to apocalyptic.

The net training theory

There's already talk about regrouping, a two day game in Alice Springs, and whet they need to do. Here's the IF take on what needs doing:

1. They're not going to give us any free training. They'll prepare a pitch nothing like the next test pitch, and select bowlers without that raw pace that gave us all the problems. So we need to treat the game in that context, let the bowlers that need it have a run-out and get some more overs in the legs. Send out the 'B' or 'C' team otherwise, and gather in the nets.
2. If Johnson's average bowling speed is, say, 93 miles an hour, set up a bowling machine and vary it between 92 and 96 mph, get the operator to follow similar length patterns to those the Aussie bowlers have hit (40% short balls) and get the batters in there for long, hard sessions perfecting the shots to play, and, more importantly, how to take evasive action.
3. Do some more of that.
4. And some more.
5. Still more? Yep.
6. You guessed it.

Until they're ducking and swaying out of the way in their sleep.

Then go back to number 2.

It's not as if they're all immune to the fast, short ball either, and length and direction are more important than pure speed, so get our guys to practice sending the ball down that follows the batter, and the one that threatens their ribcage rather than their helmet-protected head. Then give them it.

Depending on who you listen to...

...it's either the end oif world, deeply embarrassing, or nothing at all to worry about. The fact is that draw the first of five tests, and you're where you started, win and happy days, lose and it can be difficult from there on. Lose big and there's a dent in the team bus that will take time to heal and repair, so the first job is to bowl, and then bat, as well as possible, make things difficult for them, use up as much of the remaining time as possible.

Then?

See action point number 2.