WAKE IN FRIGHT

Anatomy of yet another English Antipodean nightmare.

ROBERT DRANE

FIRST TEST, THE ‘GABBA, NOVEMBER 23-27, 2017 The opening Test of an Ashes series in Australia. So often, the Gabba is the tuning fork; the key is struck; the tone established. For two days each side struggled for ascendancy. Then the tide turned England’s way. They made their first-innings score of 302 a yawing chasm after reducing the Australians’ unproven batting line-up to 5-75. Until Steve Smith held back the tide. He didn’t slap them around. The bowlers didn’t allow it, and anyway, the situation didn’t call for it. The longer he stayed, the more little cuts he inflicted. This brilliant graft of a ton told us everything else we needed to know about him. But it told us a lot more: this intelligent, composed English side could be spooked.…

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Inside Cricket (Digital) - 1 Issue, February 2018

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