I'm refusing to cop stick just for criticising that defeat. Whatever way you look at it or spin it, it’s an unacceptable defeat from the position we were in. It's frankly an embarrassment.
I also think you'll be hard pressed to say that the aggressive batting style hasn't cost us the match. Of course it has. How can you defend a combined 336/20 in 67.3 overs? You can't. It's indefensible. Of course, how we approach the game is the root cause of that pathetic display. And yes, when it works, great, it looks amazing. But it doesn't work nearly as much as is made out.
We have lost the first Test due to our inability to bat properly, to play to the conditions, and to adapt to what the pitch is doing. Australia haven't steamrollered us with unplayable bowling spells. They bowled well, but some of their bowling, particularly in the first innings, was bang average. Yet we capitulated.
We haven't lost to an outrageously good Australian team on top of their game. We've lost to an average Australian side who didn't need to up their game at all. In fact, they probably underperformed themselves.
Head had a great innings. Well done on that, but they'd have still won the Test with ease without his innings. Our bowling was flat, toothless, and downtrodden. They'd have chased that down tomorrow without too much trouble. Let's not pretend that he single handedly won the Test on his own, shall we? We threw that Test away and lost it ourselves. There is only our own stupidity, pig-ignorant arrogance, and failure to adapt to the match situation, to blame.
That performance has well and truly pissed me off. It was completely unnecessary and avoidable. At least the Albion won't let me down, eh
I also think you'll be hard pressed to say that the aggressive batting style hasn't cost us the match. Of course it has. How can you defend a combined 336/20 in 67.3 overs? You can't. It's indefensible. Of course, how we approach the game is the root cause of that pathetic display. And yes, when it works, great, it looks amazing. But it doesn't work nearly as much as is made out.
We have lost the first Test due to our inability to bat properly, to play to the conditions, and to adapt to what the pitch is doing. Australia haven't steamrollered us with unplayable bowling spells. They bowled well, but some of their bowling, particularly in the first innings, was bang average. Yet we capitulated.
We haven't lost to an outrageously good Australian team on top of their game. We've lost to an average Australian side who didn't need to up their game at all. In fact, they probably underperformed themselves.
Head had a great innings. Well done on that, but they'd have still won the Test with ease without his innings. Our bowling was flat, toothless, and downtrodden. They'd have chased that down tomorrow without too much trouble. Let's not pretend that he single handedly won the Test on his own, shall we? We threw that Test away and lost it ourselves. There is only our own stupidity, pig-ignorant arrogance, and failure to adapt to the match situation, to blame.
That performance has well and truly pissed me off. It was completely unnecessary and avoidable. At least the Albion won't let me down, eh