A last stand

Following a hectic and enthralling fourth day Australia will begin the final three sessions at Edgbaston 25 runs behind England and with 8 second innings wickets in hand. It is time for the new Australia to stand up and be counted if they are not to go two down with two to play.

Although their captain Ricky Ponting is already back in the hutch the baggy greens should be able to draw inspiration from the England rearguard action in the First Test. In Cardiff Andrew Strauss was dismissed at the end of the fourth day and England entered the last day trailing by over two hundred runs but also with 8 second innings wickets remaining. Scoring at a moderate rate of 100 runs per session will give Australia a lead of 180 at tea and batting on afterwards should secure them the draw.

All that’s needed is someone with the grit and resolve to play the Paul Collingwood role. It’s time for Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke to show their class. Without a Test century in 15 matches Hussey is in the middle of a lean spell which has seen his average plummet from a near Bradmanesque 80 at the beginning of 2008 to a more mortal 55. He will hope that the good fortune that allowed him to survive a king pair off Graham Onions yesterday will enable him to prove his critics wrong. If it’s not Hussey that guides Australia to safety then it’s likely that it will be Clarke. He fought hard at Lords with a classy century in a rearguard action only to be undone by the fire of Andrew Flintoff. A similar show of resilience will be required at the Bull Ring from the second best bladesman in Australia.

For England it is uncertain how much of a role Flintoff will play. Clearly struggling with his injured knee it would be appreciated if his designated replacement as all-rounder, Stuart Broad, could bring some wickets to the party. Undoubtedly talented Broad remains an enigma to which the code has not yet been cracked – certainly with regards to his bowling. Broad was though, along with his relatively inexperienced cohorts in Swann, Onions and Anderson, chief enforcer when it came to engaging in some lively verbal exchanges with the Australians, notably Mitchell Johnson. Undoubtedly this is not a scenario that would have happened if Warne and McGrath had been in situ.

Jimmy Anderson and Monty Panesar’s rearguard action at Cardiff has provoked a remarkable turnaround in the fortunes of the two teams in this series. Allan Border, the man who forged Australia’s modern cricketing identity, will no doubt be watching to see if Australia still possess the mettle that for nigh on 20 years no one doubted that they had. Today we will learn the answer.