Oval Test, Day 3, Close
Saturday, August 25, 2001

Ramprakash played a textbook Test match innings. He concentrated throughout, worked hard and was content to play second fiddle for long periods while Hussain and Afzaal were going well at the other end. The forties have often been a tough period for him, but he battled through them and once he passed fifty, he just flourished. He drove and cut majestically, he swept Warne well, and his timing was spot on throughout. I'm very pleased for him, as he was due a good Test innings. England's tail was impressive too. Ormond looked the part on his debut, and it took a great piece of bowling from Warnie to get rid of him.

This still remains a good Test wicket, and Shane Warne needed some really great deliveries to get his wickets. It wasn't his best day with the ball however. He was by no means dominant, a bit of frustration crept in from time to time, and there were a few full tosses floating around, which for once the England batsmen managed to put away. He has bowled much better in the past and taken fewer wickets. But from the punter's point of view it had everything - runs, wickets, records, emotion. And he almost took a hat-trick to celebrate 400 which would have been typical.

There's a good deal of rough developing outside leg stump now which will interest the likes of Phil Tufnell. If he bowls a bit quicker, and doesn't throw the ball up so much, he could yet be a real handful, and for that reason I don't think the follow-on will be an issue. Australia won't want to be batting last on this pitch. Their bowlers need a break after today's effort, and if England were allowed to get a similar score second time out then they'd be the ones exerting the pressure.

Ian Healy made a record 395 dismissals in 119 Tests for Australia, and was on the winning side in the last six Ashes series. His comments are appearing on Wisden.com at the end of every session of the Oval Test. He was talking to Andrew Miller.

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