The brutal execution of a serenely designed master plan

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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England dug deep and then jumped into the hole themselves. Folding up for 136 in the first innings, England now find themselves 224 rungs below Australia on the escape ladder. 

Scorecard

Batsmen got in and got out. Some never got in. However, it cannot be said the English threw their wickets away. Almost all the batsmen were setup by good, accurate fast bowling. Nathan Lyon picked up 2 wickets; those of Bell and Prior, but the rest were undone by doubts created by incisive planning and execution. 

The most pleasing of all was the dismissal of 1 Test old Michael Carberry. The 33 year old left hand bat looked solid in defense and ‘outrageously patient’ as he let balls outside the off stump thud into Haddin’s gloves undisturbed. 

He played out a slightly off target first session Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris and Siddle with relative ease. But after lunch came a bowler not rated very highly even by Australia, considering the way he’s often benched and called back, a spinner, Nathan Lyon. 

With a mind befuddled by the sudden lack of pace, Carberry’s footwork followed suit. Lyon bowled with the control expected from a finger spinner. On day 2 at the Gabba he extracted decent spin and extra bounce, as he spun one across the face of Carberry’s bat. 

After a few overs from over the wicket from Johnson, Clarke’s chat with him, made the Mumbai Indians’ bowler go around the wicket. Carberry was comfortable facing 145kmph from over the wicket. With an off stump guard, he left balls alone nonchalantly. He was well aware of his off stump. 

The change in angle meant a change in guard. Carberry was now standing on middle stump as Johnson came pounding in. 

The field – 3 slips, a gully, leg slip, short leg and a short mid-wicket in catching.

Ball 1 – Short and fast; Ravi Shastri’s tracer bullet fast. The ball was headed straight for Carberry’s ribs. Just milliseconds before ball hit bone, Carberry tried to close the face of the bat on it. The ball ballooned up and fell just wide of the sprawling David Warner. 

Carberry’s thoughts – ‘Holy shite! That was fast. Better be ready for another short one.’

Ball 2 – Another bouncer. Johnson lets it rip as if he were bowling to knock Carberry’s head off. Carberry goes for the hook shot as he overbalances and falls slightly to the off. The ball whizzes past his right shoulder and smashes into the gloves of Haddin. Johnson has dismissed Michael’s confidence. 

Carberry’s thoughts – ‘Where’s he generating so much pace from? Need to stay still and balanced to tackle the next short one. But what if he bowls a full one? Do I press forward or stay back or #$^%! *Static.* 

Ball 3 – It’s just short of a good length. It pitches just outside leg. It angles away, heading just outside the off. Michael Carberry, who is no longer sure about his off stump, puts his bat in the way. He nicks it. The catch is taken. The battle won. 

Carberry’s thoughts – F*^*

Carberry’s dismissal was a combination of the nascent insecurity created by Lyon, the astute mind of Clarke and good FAST bowling from Johnson. 

The celebration after the wicket said it all. The momentous result of a heightened sense of anticipation had been reached. The climax. Australia had successfully combined brain and brawn to eke out a wicket; the set batsman at that time, thus opening the proverbial door leading to a damaging collapse. 
The favourites England, were dismissed for a paltry sum. It will definitely take an Ashes victory for a psychological comeback. 

As far as Carberry’s dismissal goes, it was the brutal execution of a serenely designed master plan. 

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