Oh well, I thought we had a close game on our hands and for the umpteenth time in this series I was entirely wrong.
Yes, with a bit of rain forecast and perhaps with some miraculously recovered Aussie grit the hosts might just sneak out of the match with a draw, but day three at Sydney was the day that irrevocably confirmed the giant chasm that exists between the two teams.
England began precariously placed on 167-3, 113 runs behind Australia’s first innings total with a nightwatchman at the crease and the hopelessly out of form Collingwood due in next. If Australia could grab a couple of quick wickets they could even hope for a slender 1st innings lead.
That we even entertained such thoughts owed more to 20 years of Australian dominance and English ineptitude than to the evidence before our eyes.
For indeed Siddle did dispose of the hapless Anderson and Collingwood played possibly the last test innings of his life intent on raising Aussie hopes of a fightback. But when he departed, desperately searching for form by charging the surprisingly competent Beer and holing out at mid off, England settled into the rest of the day.
Cook continued his surreal marathon which has now seen him bat for longer than any Englishman in any series. Only two players have batted longer in any series ever. He’s never looked in real trouble, but one suspects better Aussie bowlers might simply have persisted with the off stump line that has so frequently brought his downfall.
He was lucky to be reprieved by a Beer no ball yesterday, and today was nearly caught by Hughes at short leg when on 99. Hughes was given some stick for claiming a catch that clearly bounced in front of him, but replays suggest he wasn’t sure, and Haddin certainly gave the game away with a shake of the head.
Thereafter there were no alarms for Cook who has now scored 766 runs in this series, a truly monumental effort, especially when you consider that the Aussies are so hopeless he has batted only 7 times in 5 matches and may well not get a second chance in this match the way the hosts are falling to pieces.
So atrocious are Clarke’s bowling options that Watson was called upon within 10 overs of taking the second new ball and looked the most effective seamer. Siddle is a curious conundrum. So often entirely unthreatening yet with two 6 wicket hauls to his credit in the series.
Hilfenhaus, the steadiest of the seamers, is now so easy to predict that England’s batsmen now play him one handed while tweeting on their iPhones.
And as for Johnson, he is an absurdity. Clearly blessed with athleticism, power and a prodigiously swinging full ball, he as often as not flings the ball so wide that Haddin’s knees are taking the kind of prolonged battering from his desperate dives that will result in a personal injury claim against the watery eyed left armer.
There were controversies. Bell was given out caught behind, referred to the 3rd umpire and hot spot found no evidence, thus the appeal was overturned. Five minutes later Snicko showed the ball did indeed get the slightest feather off Bell’s inside edge. Presumably Bell genuinely didn’t feel it or else he would surely not have referred. And if nothing else we had proof that the on field umpire, Aleem Dar, is a genius who transcends the available technology.
But even if Bell had been given out, the way Cook and then later Prior took to the Aussie attack with such contempt suggests that England would have scored whatever they wanted, when they wanted. In the event he went on to his first hundred against Australia in his 18th match. It was, as usual, a gorgeous innings with ridiculously beautiful drives through the off side. He is England’s most pleasing batsman to watch and for once he cashed in.
It is important to temper the triumphalism by noting how fortunate England have been to bowl in overcast conditions, both here and at the MCG, whilst batting under cloudless skies. But time and again the pitch looks flat when Australia bowl and spicy when England get their turn. This is not a function of luck but of the massive difference in class between the two teams.
Day four will begin with England leading by 208 runs. Prior, Bresnan and Swann will presumably be given licence to bat until at least lunch. And eventually Swann will get the chance to bowl on a responsive wicket.
Australia may summon one last hurrah, but the game is up. England are going to win this series and all thoughts will soon turn to limited overs cricket.
Australia is number one in the world in the ICC ODI rankings. Maybe the time has come to pension off their test team and hand over the reins to Warner, White, David Hussey and co., because on the evidence of yesterday, and indeed virtually every day of this series, they are a demoralized, obliterated and terminally confused outfit.
England, on the other hand, may never have had it so good.