A Boxing Day showdown looms
Australia stumbled upon the right bowling formula for conditions in Perth, writes Vic Marks in The Guardian , but Melbourne will be another matter and a specialist spinner will be needed in Sydney
Liam Brickhill
25-Feb-2013
Australia stumbled upon the right bowling formula for conditions in Perth, writes Vic Marks in The Guardian, but Melbourne will be another matter and a specialist spinner will be needed in Sydney. So who will make room for him?
Whatever the Australians say, it cannot help them that Beer is a completely unknown quantity at this level. He knows Melbourne because he was born there. No doubt he has played the odd game at the MCG. But now that the Australians are right back in the series, rather than grasping at any stray straw, they must be scratching their heads how it came to pass that they are turning up for the critical game of the campaign with such a greenhorn in tow. Of course, Beer could be the next Bishan Bedi; but he might also prove to be a poor man's Xavier Doherty.
In The Telegraph Derek pringle provides three questions both teams will have to find the answer to, while in the same newspaper Steve James argues that while England capitulated at the WACA they remain the better side.
Will England make changes in Melbourne? I’d rest Steven Finn, who looks tired and leaked far too many runs to scupper the attack’s pre-ordained plan of creating pressure, and play Ajmal Shahzad for his reverse swing on a ground likely to encourage that. There will doubtless be support for Tim Bresnan, especially in order to strengthen the batting.
In the Sydney Morning Herald Peter Roebuck looks ahead to the Boxing Day Test, which now has a special significance with the series so delicately balanced.
Liam Brickhill is a freelance journalist based in Cape Town