Ashes series - England go 1-0 up

Scene at the Adelaide Oval soon after the match ended

The Australian team lost the second test match today - the innings wrapping up in double quick time, especially after Hussey got out to an ill-advised pull. Greame Swann took this opportunity to cut through the tail-enders.

Stuart Broad and Simon Katich will no longer play in this test series - the Aussies will miss the player more than the English team.

Ricky Ponting must be feeling the heat from his supporters and frankly, all the planning he can conjure up over the next ten days is of no use if he cannot get his bowlers to take wickets. After the first innings of the first test, the bowlers have not been able to bowl to the lower order batsmen at all.

Can the selectors bring back Shaun Tait to the team for the Perth test - his extra speed will surely help give an edge to the Oz team. Or are they desperate enough to call back Brett Lee? More than the bowlers, the batsmen will have to pull up their socks and perform in the next three tests. The team-morale needs to be improved upon, for they would have taken a big beating in this match. How will the team management deal with this, will determine the fate of this series.

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Ashes series - new-look bowling pair for Oz

Chance to get his head straight

The Australian team management dropped Mitchell Johnson, who thought that this was a time to get his head straight. He struggled to make an impression in the first test and this decision will do him good. Ponting remarked that Hilfenhaus might be replaced by Bollinger, making it a new and fresh pair for the second test starting on Friday. The Australians will be expecting these changes to help them get twenty English wickets in Adelaide.

The English team must be feeling very confident after the first test batting performance - their captain making all the right sound-bites saying that they have not achieved much so far. Complacency is the one factor that might pull them down but the 2 Andrews - Strauss and Flower - will keep them motivated enough.

The pitch will be flat while rains might cause interruptions in the match. Ability to take wickets will be the key factor at play while Ricky Ponting will strive to put runs on the board. The Oz batting order will be under pressure to regain their form and score heavily. Will the English bowlers come to party once again or will it be the reincarnation of KP?

Related articles

• Johnson set for axe in favour of Bollinger (guardian.co.uk)
• Chappells split on Johnson (theage.com.au)