{"id":390711,"date":"2026-01-04T08:48:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T08:48:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/390711\/"},"modified":"2026-01-04T08:48:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T08:48:09","slug":"australia-vs-england-5th-test-day-1-talking-points-analysis-scg-new-years-test-no-spinner-sparks-fears-for-australias-future-video-highlights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/390711\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia vs England 5th Test Day 1 talking points, analysis, SCG New Year\u2019s Test, no spinner sparks fears for Australia\u2019s future, video, highlights"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>For the first time in nearly 140 years, Australia has opted against playing a genuine spinner for a Test match in Sydney \u2014 and after just 45 overs on the opening day\u2019s play, it looks to have backfired already.<\/p>\n<p>That notion wasn\u2019t realised before another failure for an under-fire English opener, whose woes are as bad as any since halfway through last century.<\/p>\n<p>Foxsports.com.au dissects the biggest talking points from day one of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney that ended prematurely once the weather closed midway through the afternoon.<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"i-amphtml-fill-content i-amphtml-replaced-content\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/poster-fallback.png\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Watch The Ashes 2025\/26 LIVE and ad-break free during play with FOX CRICKET on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? <a href=\"https:\/\/kayosports.com.au?pg=cricket&amp;extcamp=fsaeditoriallinkcricket-edt-fsp-lnk-awr-grc-cri-kyo&amp;channel=fsa&amp;campaign=fsacontra&amp;voucher=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Join now and get your first month for just $1 &gt;<\/a><\/p>\n<p>DAY ONE WRAP: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com.au\/cricket\/the-ashes\/ashes-2026-australia-vs-england-fifth-test-day-one-live-scores-sydney-weather-forecast-rain-scg-updates-start-time-teams\/news-story\/adeb38db69fd8d2e3dae5b7baf647b02\" title=\"www.foxsports.com.au\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Aussies\u2019 shock 138-year first turns ugly as Poms seize control in glum Sydney storms<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2018INCREDIBLE\u2019: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com.au\/cricket\/the-ashes\/a-fine-tribute-bondi-massacre-heroes-honoured-in-touching-prematch-ceremony\/news-story\/bb18ce3d2a832df8d4330efed5c22dc0\" title=\"www.foxsports.com.au\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Bondi massacre heroes honoured in spine-tingling, \u2018emotional\u2019 pre-match scenes<\/a><\/p>\n<p>See the SCG Test Day One Talking Points.Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I WORRY BIG-TIME\u2019: THE FLOW-ON EFFECT FROM SPIN SNUB<\/p>\n<p>Former leg spinner Kerry O\u2019Keeffe is concerned about the future of the spinning craft and despairs at the message being sent to aspiring Australian cricketers around the country.<\/p>\n<p>Australia opted against selecting a specialist at the SCG for the first time since 1888 on Sunday in the continuation of a trend that began in the West Indies last July when Nathan Lyon was overlooked for selection.<\/p>\n<p>In a country where the leading Test wicket takers are Shane Warne and Lyon, Australia has subsequently opted against a spinner in three of the five Ashes Tests this summer.<\/p>\n<p>O\u2019Keeffe, who played 24 Tests for Australia in the 1970s, said it was disappointing that Todd Murphy had been overlooked for a maiden Test on home soil once again in Sydney after he also missed out for the Boxing Day Test.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI worry big-time about it,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are thousands of ambitious young spinners out there that want to wear a baggy green and affect a Test match for Australia on the fourth and fifth day, and the selection ethos at the moment is, \u2018We don\u2019t need a spinner\u2019. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know the West Indies, in the 1970s, made that decision and it didn\u2019t hurt them, but they haven\u2019t produced a spinner since. The writing\u2019s on the wall: If you shut down the opportunity for spinners, it has a flow-on effect. Ever since Clive Lloyd and that team made it to go with a four-pronged pace attack \u2013 they won Test matches, but when it came time (where they) needed a spinner, there were none. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI hope that Australia doesn\u2019t go down that line, that we become completely pace-reliant and that we thwart the ambition of young spinners.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Heroes saluted ahead of SCG Test | 02:12<\/p>\n<p>Australian coach Andrew McDonald was firm on the importance of spin in the aftermath of the farcical Boxing Day Test last week when he said Murphy was still in the plans for the SCG.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d love to pick Todd. I\u2019d love to see what he has got to offer,\u201d McDonald said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe think he is back to his best and what we have seen when he\u2019s come closer to the camp has been excellent. We\u2019d love to pick him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But come the New Year\u2019s Test, on a wicket former Aussie great Mark Waugh declared would dry out and turn if the weather improves in Sydney this week, the Australians did the unthinkable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt surprises me. I know there is some grass on this wicket but if we get some dry weather, it will dry out,\u201d Waugh said on the Kayo coverage of the Ashes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have some warm weather here and the colour of this pitch will change a lot. Both teams need to be more diligent with their batting, (but if they are) I think spin will play a part, which it should.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Australia&#8217;s Todd Murphy. AP Photo\/Mark BakerSource: AP<\/p>\n<p>As one pundit quipped that he had just seen revered tweaker Richie Benaud\u2019s statue walk out of the ground, Australia\u2019s stand-in skipper Steve Smith was explaining the break with tradition days after lamenting at the MCG he had no choice given the wickets being prepared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c(I) hate doing it, but we keep producing wickets that we don\u2019t think are going to spin. You kind of get pushed into a corner,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>It ensures this summer will produce a new record for this century when it comes to the fewest number of spin deliveries bowled.<\/p>\n<p>Leading into the SCG Test, the Aussies had delivered just 73 overs of spin this summer, with England contributing 59.3. So much for variety.<\/p>\n<p>The contributing factors are the two day Tests in Perth and Melbourne and the non-selection of Lyon at the Gabba prior to Murphy missing out for the last two Tests.<\/p>\n<p>England, too, opted against selecting specialist spinner Shoaib Bashir at all, which is staggering given he had been groomed for this series given the bounce he creates.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey have pretty much back Shoaib Bashir for the past three years for this moment here in Australia, but clearly Shoaib has either not impressed them or they don\u2019t feel his style of bowing is going to be useful,\u201d ex-England captain Michael Vaughan said.<\/p>\n<p>Former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie pondered who had made the call at selection given the comments from McDonald in Melbourne at the end of the last year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAndrew McDonald said the other day, basically, that Todd Murphy would play. Make no mistake, this is a Steve Smith decision,\u201d he said on the ABC.<\/p>\n<p>O\u2019Keeffe noted that the Australian selectors have pulled a \u201clot of right reins\u201d but wondered whether Smith\u2019s own excellence with the bat was influencing his view on spinners.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI just wonder if the captain is such a good player of spin himself, not many spinners worry him, that he probably thinks the seamers are more of a chance of worrying him,\u201d O\u2019Keeffe said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis decision hasn\u2019t proven to be wrong but I don\u2019t think it\u2019s in our interest to be just going in with an all-pace attack. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis was his (Murphy\u2019s) chance. The understudy to Nathan, he would\u2019ve thought, \u2018I\u2019m the off-spinner, second in line after Nathan, my chance\u2019. He\u2019ll be frustrated with that. Is it a misread of a pitch? We\u2019ll find out.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHad Nathan Lyon been available, I would hate to think they\u2019d say, \u2018Nah, nah, we\u2019ll go with Michael Neser on the SCG as our pace option against you\u2019, even though he\u2019s a fine bowler. I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brett Lee is a champion of the fast bowling brethren, but the Fox Cricket expert analyst was also stunned by the decision.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am surprised that they haven\u2019t gone with a spinner, especially in Sydney,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you asked me the question in Melbourne last week, you\u2019d probably go, \u2018Well, it wasn\u2019t warranted, you wouldn\u2019t need a spinner down there\u2019. But up here in Sydney, it should go into the fourth day. You\u2019d like to have a spinner out there.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSometimes it\u2019s nice to change the tempo, rather than just pace, pace, pace, pace, pace. It\u2019s nice sometimes just to vary things. And of course they\u2019ve got Travis Head who can bowl some offies, and you\u2019ve got Marnus Labuschagne who can bowl a little bit of seam up and spin if needed, but I\u2019m a little bit surprised they haven\u2019t gone with a spinner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Huge crowds gather for Ashes tickets | 06:26<\/p>\n<p>\u2018WEREN\u2019T PRECISE\u2019: WORLD NO. 1 FEASTS ON WAYARD AUSSIE<\/p>\n<p>Too short, too wide.<\/p>\n<p>Australia\u2019s seam bowlers got their lengths slightly wrong on day one at the SCG, and Joe Root, the world\u2019s No. 1 ranked Test batter, is too good a player not to take advantage.<\/p>\n<p>According to CricViz, 68 per cent of Root\u2019s runs on Sunday came through the cover and point regions, with the Yorkshireman producing a flurry of elegant cuts and drives. <\/p>\n<p>In contrast, he only managed four runs down the ground in the \u2018V\u2019 between mid-off and mid-on, the lowest proportion for him in a Test innings where he passed fifty.<\/p>\n<p>The numbers tell a glaring story \u2013 Australia didn\u2019t target the stumps enough and offered too much width to the right-hander.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAustralia have not bowled as well on this pitch as they could have done,\u201d former Test seamer Glenn McGrath said on BBC Test Match Special.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey have been a little bit full and too short. It\u2019s not been as consistent as what you would like.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>O\u2019Keeffe agreed, noting the Australians were not as on-song as they have been throughout the summer.<\/p>\n<p> \u201cPrecision has been our advantage in the first three Tests. We were more precise than them. Today we weren\u2019t precise,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn a slow pitch, Root in particular, just got back and played late and worked the ball for easy runs. Our fast bowlers were a bit down today.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Joe Root of England. Photo by Gareth Copley\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>Root took a particular liking to all-rounder Cameron Green, who struggled to hit a probing length, finishing the day with expensive figures of 0-57 from eight overs. <\/p>\n<p>The dangerous Harry Brook also attacked the West Australian when he was tasked with executing a bumper barrage during the afternoon session, at one stage slapping a 96m six over fine leg.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnfortunately for (Green) today, he probably missed his length a little bit, and he\u2019ll look back at his line, his length, bowling that session to Joe Root, and (he was) just slightly off,\u201d former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee told Fox Cricket.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMargins are so small as a bowler in Test cricket.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He added: \u201cUnfortunately they were just slightly off their normal impeccable length. But it is a fifth Test, and the guys will be carrying a lot of stiffness and soreness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the absence of a strike spinner, Green was required to step up as Australia\u2019s fourth bowling option at the SCG on Sunday, a role that Lee believes he could still serve in the future.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe definitely can. He\u2019s got the skills one billion per cent. He\u2019s such a talent, Cameron Green (and) he\u2019s been such a great asset to Australia,\u201d Lee said.<\/p>\n<p>However his figures for the series now sit at 3-215, after lone wickets in Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne, plus an average of 18.66 with the bat.<\/p>\n<p>While it may be thought that Beau Webster took Todd Murphy\u2019s place in the XI, the reticence to axe Green led to the Webster-Murphy decision needing to be made in the first place, only adding to the pressure upon him.<\/p>\n<p>Uzzie reflects on the SCG and family | 03:45<\/p>\n<p>ENGLAND OPENER\u2019S 76-YEAR ASHES LOW<\/p>\n<p>Several batters have failed to fire this summer, but Ben Duckett\u2019s output has arguably been the most disappointing.<\/p>\n<p>The Englishman touched down for his maiden Ashes tour on the back of an exceptional three years in the Test arena, cementing himself as one of the most damaging openers in the game\u2019s longest format. But he hasn\u2019t lived up to expectations.<\/p>\n<p>Duckett has struggled on Australia\u2019s bouncy decks, contributing 160 runs at 17.77 across nine innings, with a high score of 34. It\u2019s the worst performance from an England opener in an Ashes tour since 1950 (minimum nine innings), when Cyril Washbrook averaged 17.30.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps the most frustrating trend for Duckett has been his failure to convert starts into substantial scores, dismissed between 21 and 34 on five occasions this series.<\/p>\n<p>His off-field behaviour also came under scrutiny after footage emerged of him during the team\u2019s mid-series holiday in Noosa, with the ECB investigating the drinking habits of its players. <\/p>\n<p>At the SCG on Sunday, the left-hander wafted at an outswinger in the channel from Australian speedster Mitchell Starc when he was on 27, with the outside edge sailing through to wicketkeeper Alex Carey. <\/p>\n<p>The dismissal prompted a brief collapse of 3-22.<\/p>\n<p>Duckett is famously allergic to leaving the ball, and his refusal to shoulder-arms deliveries outside off stump has often proven his downfall this summer.<\/p>\n<p>The 31-year-old also hasn\u2019t been able to tame Starc and has been dismissed by the tall left-armer on five occasions this series. In Tests, the New South Welshman has removed him eight times at an average of 21.62.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s dangerous when playing through square, but Australia\u2019s quicks have time and again exposed his vulnerable defence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe fact that he said my reverse sweep is stronger than my forward defence was a tell that if you can make him defend, you can make him nick off,\u201d former Australian spinner Kerry O\u2019Keeffe said of Duckett.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd Australia have done it most of the series, they\u2019ve penetrated his forward defence. On flat decks, with the ball not doing much, you give him width, he gets away. But Australia have denied him that throughout the series. He\u2019s never really got away. They\u2019ve bowled well to him.\u201dFormer England captain Michael Vaughan agreed on BBC Test Match Special: \u201cWhen Ben Duckett gets in, Australia know that he will not leave the ball. You can get away with it a little bit in the UK, but not in Australia.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe will be a good enough player to be around in four years, but that is something for him to improve upon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Courtesy of the lack of reserve openers in the touring party, Duckett\u2019s spot in the Test side hasn\u2019t been under jeopardy this series, but speculation will no doubt brew ahead of England\u2019s home summer.<\/p>\n<p>The SCG has become a graveyard for English Test careers, with the iconic venue hosting the final match of 14 England players this century already. Duckett will have another chance in the second innings to ensure he doesn\u2019t become the 15th.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey do pick and stick, this team,\u201d O\u2019Keeffe said.<\/p>\n<p>Ben Duckett of England. Photo by Darrian Traynor\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>\u2018FATIGUE FACTOR\u2019: DOCILE SCG MUZZLES STARC<\/p>\n<p>With 27 wickets to his name already, Starc has been the undisputed player of the series.<\/p>\n<p>The tall left-armer has carried Australia\u2019s bowling attack in the absence of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon, terrorising England\u2019s top order with some damaging spells across the summer.<\/p>\n<p>Australia will lift the Ashes urn in the coming days, and he\u2019s largely to thank.<\/p>\n<p>This week\u2019s New Year\u2019s Test in Sydney is Starc\u2019s 27th consecutive Test, a streak that stretches back to the 2023 Ashes campaign in the United Kingdom. It\u2019s a remarkable feat considering his age and Australia\u2019s packed calendar.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s going to play five Test matches again this summer, so it\u2019s incredible,\u201d Australian coach Andrew McDonald told reporters at the MCG last week.<\/p>\n<p>Starc was close to unplayable on the bouncy, green-tinged decks in Perth and Melbourne, but the SCG surface didn\u2019t offer as much assistance for fast bowlers on Sunday. <\/p>\n<p>According to CricViz, there was only 0.54\u00b0 of seam movement before lunch on day one, the lowest figure for the first session of a Test match this summer.<\/p>\n<p>The SCG has proven the best venue for Test batters across the past decade with an average of 36.73 in the New South Wales capital during that period.<\/p>\n<p>Test batting averages at Australian venues since 2016<\/p>\n<p>36.73 \u2013 SCG<\/p>\n<p>28.39 \u2013 Gabba<\/p>\n<p>27.45 \u2013 Adelaide Oval<\/p>\n<p>27.41 \u2013 MCG<\/p>\n<p>27.23 \u2013 Perth Stadium<\/p>\n<p>Mitchell Starc of Australia. Photo by Robert Cianflone\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>The batting-friendly conditions in Sydney have muzzled Starc; the 35-year-old averages 42.78 at the SCG, making it his worst ground in Australia.<\/p>\n<p>On Sunday, Starc unearthed an early breakthrough when Duckett fended at an outswinger in the channel and edged through to wicketkeeper Carey. <\/p>\n<p>However, the New South Welshman was guilty of wayward deliveries down the leg side and low full tosses throughout England\u2019s first innings, leaking 4.42 runs per over, though he was not alone as the Aussie attack struggled for rhythm.<\/p>\n<p>He also struggled with footmarks on day one, often slipping on the surface and roughing up the deck with his spikes, and finished the day with figures of 1-53.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking on Fox Cricket commentary, former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist questioned whether fatigue contributed to Starc\u2019s poor record at the SCG, with the Sydney venue often hosting the fifth and final match of the summer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis stats at this ground, his home ground, don\u2019t quite match up to his career stats,\u201d Gilchrist said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMuch harder toil for him here, not sure if it\u2019s a fifth Test thing, by the end of a series he\u2019s just tiring off a bit.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s been stoic this series.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>O\u2019Keeffe agreed: \u201cStarc\u2019s been up for five Tests. There\u2019s got to be a fatigue factor at some stage. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s the strike man in this attack. He\u2019s going to keep getting recalled to get the wicket.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mitchell Starc\u2019s Test bowling average at Australian venues<\/p>\n<p>18.06 \u2013 Adelaide Oval<\/p>\n<p>18.75 \u2013 Perth Stadium<\/p>\n<p>27.06 \u2013 Bellerive Oval<\/p>\n<p>27.34 \u2013 Gabba<\/p>\n<p>28.88 \u2013 WACA<\/p>\n<p>31.43 \u2013 MCG<\/p>\n<p>42.78 \u2013 SCG<\/p>\n<p>Mitchell Starc of Australia. Photo by Cameron Spencer\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>Regardless, Starc\u2019s average speed during the morning session was 141km\/h. He\u2019s a warrior, always desperate to perform for his country in the game\u2019s longest format.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis morning he would have woken up sore and stiff,\u201d Lee said of Starc.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re carrying this whole workload through the whole Australian summer. Even though it hasn\u2019t been long in terms of days played, he\u2019s still bowled a lot of overs. He has carried the load of the Aussie bowling attack. He\u2019s led it beautifully. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut you find a way to struggle and fight your way through.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2018GOT TO LEARN\u2019: BORED BROOK ALMOST FALLS INTO OBVIOUS TRAP<\/p>\n<p>With the SCG pitch offering little after lunch and with Brook batting briskly, Australia turned to a short-pitched strategy with a view to drawing the powerhouse into an error.<\/p>\n<p>The tactic almost reaped dividends when, with the world\u2019s second-ranked batter closing on a half-century, he top-edged a delivery from Mitchell Starc that landed between three converging Aussies.<\/p>\n<p>The tall left-armer threw his head back in disbelief.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s poor batting from Harry Brook, it really is,\u201d Aussie great Mark Waugh said on Fox Cricket.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor a player of his class \u2026 he\u2019s got to learn. He\u2019s better than that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But as he produced his best innings for the Ashes, with Brook unbeaten on 78 from just 92 balls at stumps, Fox Cricket expert analysts pondered how good the English star could become.<\/p>\n<p>It was, they said, a case of taking the good with the bad and trying to minimise the gap between his best and worst.<\/p>\n<p>Waugh believes he has the potential to sit among the best English batters ever if he manages to find the right balance between aggression and defence at the crease.<\/p>\n<p>And Australia\u2019s bumper barrage, while unsuccessful through to the delay in play due to light and then rain, illustrated the challenge Brook has to conquer in order to justify the claim.<\/p>\n<p>As O\u2019Keeffe noted, the No. 5\u2019s approach to tackling tactical challenges thrown his way is to run towards the danger rather than adjusting his own approach and navigating through them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe looks like he can average over 50 (but) does his mindset allow him to do that?\u201d O\u2019Keeffe said on Kayo Sport\u2019s coverage of the Ashes.<\/p>\n<p>The bad? It was the pull shot that landed in between Beau Webster, Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja that had the Barmy Army holding its breath and could have handed the advantage back to Australia.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA big mistake (would have) opened the door for Australia to get back in the game,\u201d O\u2019Keeffe told Fox Cricket.<\/p>\n<p>Harry Brook of England. Photo by Ayush Kumar\/Eurasia Sport Images\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere, Ashes icon Michael Vaughan pondered whether Brook\u2019s lone problem was patience and resilience, accusing the Yorkshireman of boredom in the middle.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s almost as if Harry is getting bored with just playing in second and third gear,\u201d Vaughan said on Kayo Sports\u2019 live Ashes coverage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is what I think this England side needs to get a lot better at.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf they want to be the best team in the world, which is obviously the goal of every team playing, don\u2019t get bored of doing the same things that have worked so well for you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to reporters at stumps, Brook acknowledged the bumper ploy has been used against him his whole career \u2013 and he doesn\u2019t expect that to change. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve experienced it a lot so far, and I\u2019m expecting to experience it a lot in the future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought I played it alright (but) I could\u2019ve played it better at times \u2026 I\u2019m just happy I got through it and can take that momentum through to tomorrow.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve got to be a bit more patient, and take my ones here and there, and thankfully I did that today and a couple of the other innings as well. That\u2019s something I\u2019ve got to think about going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He added: \u201cI just didn\u2019t feel like I was getting on top of the ball (when pulling), so that\u2019s why I tried to start hitting it for six every ball.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For the first time in nearly 140 years, Australia has opted against playing a genuine spinner for a&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":390712,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[139006,113041,18761,171594,209256,91335,64,63,689,15913,121586,89827,122618,60172,136008,29997,209247,138039,60158,60167,20341,89155,101243,89813,209238,18762,30195,209258,209259,3567,209254,201706,66581,2057,9564,54912,35084,168082,209249,3471,168856,161115,160479,17071,209255,2105,35082,101482,31550,89824,138790,17066,44227,101174,101170,209244,124540,647,124996,17055,31024,185087,29547,673,3583,677,136017,209253,1948,209260,3247,209243,209250,209252,209246,44228,167518,209240,201710,209242,209248,209245,85,5080,18784,209237,209257,209261,670,7663,209251,209236,120749,185189,5338,89809,44867,209241,3586,70541,660,209239,164170],"class_list":["post-390711","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-adam-gilchrist","tag-afternoon-session","tag-alex-carey","tag-all-pace-attack","tag-ambitious-young-spinners","tag-andrew-mcdonald","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-australian-coach","tag-australian-cricketers","tag-australian-fast-bowler","tag-australian-selectors","tag-australian-speedster","tag-australian-spinner","tag-australian-summer","tag-australian-venues","tag-australian-wicketkeeper","tag-baggy-green","tag-beau-webster","tag-ben-duckett","tag-bondi-beach","tag-bowling-attack","tag-brett-lee","tag-bumper-barrage","tag-cameron-green","tag-cameron-spencer","tag-career-stats","tag-clive-lloyd","tag-courtney-walsh","tag-dire-warning","tag-english-batters","tag-english-star","tag-europe","tag-european-central-bank","tag-expert-analysts","tag-fast-bowlers","tag-fast-bowling-brethren","tag-fatigue-factor","tag-final-match","tag-final-test","tag-flow-on-effect","tag-four-pronged-pace-attack","tag-gareth-copley","tag-genuine-spinner","tag-getty-images-inc","tag-glenn-mcgrath","tag-home-ground","tag-home-soil","tag-home-summer","tag-jason-gillespie","tag-joe-root","tag-josh-hazlewood","tag-leg-side","tag-leg-spinner","tag-mark-a-baker","tag-mark-waugh","tag-melbourne","tag-michael-neser","tag-michael-vaughan","tag-mitchell-starc","tag-morning-session","tag-nathan-lyon","tag-new-south-wales","tag-northern-europe","tag-oceania","tag-pace-option","tag-particular-liking","tag-pat-cummins","tag-point-regions","tag-robert-cianflone","tag-seam-bowlers","tag-seam-movement","tag-second-ranked-batter-closing","tag-selection-ethos","tag-shane-warne","tag-shoaib-bashir","tag-shoulder-arms-deliveries","tag-specialist-spinner","tag-spin-deliveries","tag-spin-gamble","tag-spin-snub","tag-sports","tag-stand-in-skipper","tag-steven-smith","tag-strike-man","tag-strike-spinner","tag-substantial-scores","tag-sydney","tag-talking-points","tag-tall-left-armer","tag-team-playing","tag-terror-attack","tag-test-day","tag-the-gabba","tag-todd-murphy","tag-travis-head","tag-under-fire-english-opener","tag-united-kingdom","tag-usman-khawaja","tag-victoria","tag-wicket-takers","tag-young-spinners"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/390711","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=390711"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/390711\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/390712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=390711"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=390711"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=390711"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}