Australia v England - 2nd Test Preview

It's been a while but Australia finally go into a Test on home soil as underdogs, despite sharing the spoils in the 1st Test at Brisbane. It's not an unfair assessment given the failure of some of the batsmen, the uncharacteristically poor fielding and the relative assessment of the two bowling attacks.

Much is being made of the dropping of Mitch Johnson but as Greg Baum (SMH) points out, its not a decision that comes as a shock. He rightly states, it would have been a shock had Johnson not been dropped. He is player whose success is almost entirely dependent on mood but even good spirits and enthusiasm can't carry you beyond a failing technique. His delivery stride has become the point where momentum is lost as he props on his right leg, loses rhythm and pace and then slings the ball with a left arm which is getting lower and lower. If he has been receiving advice on his action he needs to become more discerning who he listens to because no amount of "getting his head together" will fix a low arm and broken momentum at delivery. The final stupidity in his axing from the team is allowing him to stay with the team. Surely he needs to understand he has work to do and whilst Cricket Australia wants to support Johnson, their primary responsibility is to the players who are in the team, not those discarded. There is too much feel good, lovey dovey hold their hands stuff going on. Apparently no one thought Nathan Hauritz should remain with the team and look what good results that has reaped for him.

The real shock may come if the suggestion by Ricky Ponting that Ben Hilfenhaus is to be dropped escapes from the pile of rumours which lie about the practice nets before a Test. If it is true then Australia is deep in the smelly stuff which usually has an involuntary arrival when one is in panic. Hilfenhaus was Australia's best bowler in Brisbane. He constantly beat the bat, even in the English second innings romp and his demotion to allow Ryan Harris into the side would be a sure sign to the English that they have the ascendancy - Andrew Strauss said as much in a press conference yesterday. Harris is good performer and would likely bowl well here but stop to consider that it would mean the selectors, almost certainly at Ponting's nervous insistence, would have dropped or stood aside four Australian bowlers in two Tests. Admittedly one, Doug Bollinger, will return here but its not the stuff of security, especially when Hauritz was hard done by in the 1st Test and Hilfenhaus would be a massive victim of a poor team bowling performance on a road in Brisbane when he was the only bloke beating the bat.

North has been retained in the hope that Adelaide's short square boundaries may aid him but both in terms of futures immediate and long term, it's a poor choice. If change is in the air then Steve Smith should be playing. He's not even a good leg spinner yet but he's good enough to provide a better bowling option than North and batting him at 7 behind Haddin's 6, would be strengthening move to the order. Selectors however, find the breaking of conventions harder than wetting their pants in a social gathering and in their minds, wicket keepers bat at 7.

Australia enters the Test with at least two Qmarks over their top seven and a longer tail now that the out of form Johnson is no longer at 8. If Harris plays, it has only two proven bowlers at this level and some soft options for support of the main attack which were exposed at Brisbane. If Bollinger is the only change, they have an improved attack. I like the look of Harris but only a week ago, CA and the selectors were saying his knee was suspect.

England are all fit, ready and keen to go. Jimmy Anderson couldn't be that unlucky in consecutive Tests and if he breaks through the Australian top order, he could be a dose of salts. The bowling line up will be better off for a run and the batting really does have an imposing look about it. Pietersen is a danger man, not withstanding his habit of twittering about, but his danger comes in explosions which take a Test away from you. The man who is likely to be the consistent danger is Jonathon Trott, who regular readers might remember I nominated during the winter. Its been a while since I've seen cover driving that impressive.

Finally, the marketing arm of CA probably needs to speak with the selectorial arm. Not only is the CBA still running adds on their website imploring Michael Hussey to start putting money aside for his future but the three pin up boys for CA on their website, their ticketing and their merchandising are Ponting, Clarke and Johnson. One is in his last series, one has had his resolve questioned and the third is gone. Hmmmmmm.

The match starts in eastern states at 11:00am.