Oval Test, Day 5, Lunch
Monday, August 27, 2001

Well, what a change in the weather – and quite a change in the Australian bowling too. Yesterday they would have been tired, and looking at two more days in the field. Today they've realised that they need just one last big effort, and they've put it in. England haven't batted badly, it's just been good bowling and good catching from Australia.

Glenn McGrath has been magnificent. It was always important that someone took some of the pressure off Warne, and eased that feeling that everyone seems to have had for years that Warnie has to take all the wickets himself in the fourth innings. McGrath has done that. He's bowled a great line and length, managed to find some bounce, and has got the results. It must be rare for a country to have their top two wicket-takers operating together, so Australia are very lucky.

Warnie has also been great. He's been a different bowler to the first innings, with fewer bad balls, and he's spun it a lot. He was getting a little impatient towards the end of the session, so he probably needs the lunchbreak to calm down and reassess the situation. We should remember that he's bowled throughout the morning, and that's not easy. Just because he does it a lot, people tend to take it for granted and think that bowling for two hours must be a simple proposition. It isn't.

England haven't really done a lot wrong. Mark Butcher made an early-innings mistake, went a bit too hard at the ball, and got out. Some other time he'd get away with that and go on and make runs. Nasser Hussain was trapped right in front by a Warne legspinner that straightened. Nasser hasn't got a great technique for that sort of delivery. It's been a flaw for ten years, but as far as I can see no-one's ever said anything so he's never done anything about it. Again, the credit goes to Warnie for pitching it dead on the right spot.

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 Steven Lynch.

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