The Ashes 2013: Captain Cook should be more proactive

Even in the first Test at Trent Bridge when Ashton Agar and Phillip Hughes combined for a record tenth wicket partnership, Cook looked clueless about how to bring an end to the onslaught. Against Agar, who had played just 10 first class games prior to his debut, there wasn’t much data available to work on, and the English captain and his bowlers were caught napping when faced with the unknown.

On the other hand, Cook’s opposite number, Clarke, a more proactive captain, showed how to go about things in such conditions. Having posted a big first innings total, the Australian skipper rotated his bowlers regularly and kept the English batsmen guessing his next move.

Michael Clarke has been more of a ‘thinking’ captain than Cook in the 3rd Test

After just three overs, each by his new ball bowlers, he realised the futility of depending on swing or seam movement and brought Shane Watson and Nathan Lyon to the attack. Though the duo didn’t provide him a breakthrough, Watson stuck to a tight line and Lyon extracted big turn from the pitch to unsettle the openers.

Clarke raised a few eyebrows by not introducing Peter Siddle, his most successful bowler in the series, into the attack until the 22nd over of the innings, but his decision to hold him back was vindicated as the Victorian paceman snared two wickets in a late burst in the day.

Two late wickets by Peter Siddle shifted the advantage in Australia’s favour

Even as England find themselves under the pump for the first time in the series, Swann was optimistic after the day’s play and said they believe they can still pull off a win. There were also whispers about the 2006 Adelaide Test in which England lost after posting 551/6 declared in the first innings.

But to pull off such a heist, England will have to bat long and do something out of the ordinary to skittle out Australia in the second innings.

It will be a race against the time if the match goes into such a situation and Cook will have to be more flexible with his bowling plans and more assertive with his captaincy. On a surface that is showing no sign of deterioration, the routine won’t be good enough.