BRISBANE: Mike Hussey anchored a mid-innings revival to propel Australia towards England’s first innings total when rain ended play on the second day of the opening Ashes Test at the Gabba on Friday. The veteran left-hander dispelled doubts over his place in the team after a lean trot to spearhead Australia’s fightback following the loss of four wickets in the post-lunch session.
When rain forced play to be abandoned at 4:45 pm (0645 GMT), Australia were 220 for five and trailing England by 35 runs with Hussey unbeaten on 81 and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin not out 22. “The game’s pretty interestingly poised, it’s pretty tight, it’s probably 50-50 at the moment and the first two hours tomorrow it will be interesting to see what happens,” Hussey said.
Hussey showed the beneficial effects of his restorative 118 for Western Australia in the leadup Sheffield Shield game last weekend to carry on his form renaissance with an enterprising knock of 13 fours and a six off 144 balls. The 35-year-old campaigner survived a near catch in the slips off his first ball to share in an unbroken 77-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Haddin to refuel Australia’s charge after England’s first innings 260. “It just goes to show how much the game is a fine line,” Hussey said.
“Even with that first one (ball) I was hoping and praying that it was going to fall short and thankfully it did, a foot more and I would have been gone for a first-ball duck.” Hussey went on to blunt the English momentum after Australia had been rocked by the loss of four wickets after lunch to slump to 143 for five.
Pacemen Steve Finn and James Anderson were England’s heroes, bowling the tourists back into contention straight after lunch. Anderson claimed the prized wicket of master batsman Ricky Ponting for 10 with the second ball after the interval. Ponting attempted to glance down the leg-side only to get a fine edge to Matt Prior.
It was a massive wicket for England with Ponting averaging 66.44 in his 14 Tests at the Gabba and who set up the last Ashes series down under four years ago when he scored 196 in the first innings of the corresponding Test.
Finn produced a spectacular return catch to dismiss opener Simon Katich off his bowling for 50. The young Middlesex quick flung his giant frame to the ground to take a sprawling return catch in the 37th over. It was Katich’s 25th half-century in 55 Tests and his fourth against England. Michael Clarke struggled for fluency throughout his 50-ball stay at the crease before his fitful innings came to an end on nine when he attempted a pull shot off Finn only to top edge a catch to Prior.
