Australia pray for rain
After another day of England dominance in Adelaide, Australia's best chance of heading to Perth 0-0 seemed to rest with the poor weather forecast
Andrew McGlashan
25-Feb-2013
How the Australian media are reacting • Herald Sun
After another day of England dominance in Adelaide, Australia's best chance of heading to Perth 0-0 seemed to rest with the poor weather forecast. The last session of the third day was washed out and rain is predicted to play a significant role in the next 48 hours. However, that can't mask some major problems for the home side after Kevin Pietersen moved to a double century and England reached 4 for 551, meaning they have posted more than 1000 runs for five wickets in their last two innings. In the Age Greg Baum sees the balance of power change after many years.
It was the disposition of a country in denial. England beat Australia 18 months ago, arrived here with a higher ranking and better recent form and, after a hesitant start in Brisbane, have tyrannised Australia in the last six days of this series. In the white noise of 365-days-a-year cricket, this shift in power has been lost. Forcibly, England have reannounced it. When England were at their abject worst a decade ago, they consoled themselves by showing endless repeats of their improbable win at Headingley in 1981. Now Australia has resorted to screening on continuous loop Shane Warne's audacious con job on England here four years ago. For Australia just now, yesterday cannot come too soon.
Robert Craddock in the Herald Sun faces the harsh reality that things are going to get worse before they get better.
There is no short-term fix for ailing Australia. There is not a single player outside the Test team who would make a serious difference to the Ashes series. Everyone worth a game has been given a game. You may have noticed that the chatter about fringe players died down, as it should have, after England beat Australia's second XI by 10 wickets in Hobart, despite resting its frontline attack.
Meanwhile, Kevin Mitchell Jr, the groundsman at the Gabba, rubs salt in Australia's wounds by saying it's the bowling to blame rather than flat pitches.
''Over the years, you've had the likes of Warne and McGrath, and if you've got some handy bowlers with blokes like that they're going to dominate.In the last few years the Aussies have been on top and they get big scores, it's just turned around a little bit where the visitors have got the big scores instead.''
In the Sydney Morning Herald, Darren Berry has a close look at how Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke have been worked over by James Anderson.
England planned well for this series and Ponting would have been the No.1 focus. Anderson is the perfect bowler to knock Ponting over before he is set. He is not express but deceptively nippy and has the ability to lure good players to lunge at him. He is happy to pitch the ball up and invite batsmen to drive. This is unusual as most modern day opening bowlers bang it into the wicket and push the batsmen back. Anderson is all class and at the top of his game.
Andrew McGlashan is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo