Agar's Innings For the Ages

The amazing game that is Test Cricket raised its beautiful head to the heavens today to show once again that it is the one form of the game that can provide any result, and showcase every aspect of the great game. The Test itself over the two days has been marvellous entertainment, but what a day the second day was, dominated by the 19 year old wunderkind Ashton Agar.

A day that started with Australia just behind the eight-ball began serenely, with both Steve Smith and Phil Hughes seeing off the first half hour with aplomb. Neither looked troubled against the opening assault from Anderson and Finn. While Anderson worked furiously on the ball, looking to produce anything he could from it, Finn was replaced by Swann. Smith moved comfortably to another Test half century, and at 4/108 it looked as though a good session was in store for the Australians.
And then suddenly, the ball began to reverse swing awkwardly from Anderson, and Swann began to get some unnerving turn. After playing himself in, Smith went to hard at a good length ball and edged behind, ending his salvo just at the time it looked as though the pair could push on. This signalled the start of an almighty collapse from the Australian team, due entirely to the magnificent bowling of James Anderson and Graham Swann.
Anderson was magnificent. He is the benchmark for world cricket at the moment when it comes to fast swing bowling. Whether the ball is new or old, he is able to get it to move through the air and always at excellent pace. He worked enormously hard on the ball for the first half hour and was finally rewarded as it began to go Irish, and then he had the Australian tail at his mercy. Siddle and Starc, who had both scored half centuries in India when Australia was in trouble, were no match here for Anderson's brilliant bowling. At the other end, a sharp turner from Swann quickly accounted for Brad Haddin, while he was all over Pattinson before finally getting an affirmative decision for LBW. These two had destroyed the Aussies solid start to the day, snaring five wickets for just nine runs, and at 9/117 and still 98 runs behind it was a very bleak outlook for the Australian team.

And then a funny thing happened. England's bowlers completely lost the plot. Ashton Agar strode to the crease, and England decided to give Phil Hughes a single and to concentrate on the number eleven. What they didn't expect was that the number eleven could bat a bit. The pressure was taken off Hughes, who was then able to try and assert himself with some positive strokes in order to get a few extra runs before the end of the innings. Agar, filled with the philosophy of his father John and his coach Darren Lehmann, played positively himself, and backed himself. He showed a good defensive technique and was not afraid to put the loose ball away.
On 6, he was subject to a huge appeal for stumping, which was referred to the third umpire. After numerous viewings the benefit was given to the batsman. England players and commentators spent the next six hours whining about this decision. If they'd concentrated more on sensible tactics, then the day may have turned out differently.