Australia have to be applauded for their bowling plans. They got it right. The bowling was hostile, intimidating and ruthless. The fielding was sharp; the sledging harsh. England's scoring areas were cut off. The flamboyant Kevin Pietersen spent this winter getting out in a kamikaze manner; something which always has the cricketing pundits and media either tearing their hair out or asserting that "it's just the way he plays". Matt Prior, the England wicket-keeper, also struggled with scoring consistently and was dropped after Perth. His Test career remains in doubt.
But while Australia should be applauded for their superb efforts in the field, and their fantastic efforts upstairs in the coaching department to work England's batsmen out, it must also be noted that England batted atrociously. Yes Australia's bowling was good and on the money. Though frequently, England were simply lost out in the crease. One wicket would turn into a hailstorm. England's batting collapsing became a hallmark of the series.
82/2 -136 all out in Brisbane.
111/3 -172 all out in Adelaide.
131/4 -179 all out in Melbourne.
Then the final humiliation in Sydney where England slumped to 23/5 before being bowled out for 155 in the first innings, and then disastrously going from 87/3 to 95/7 in the second innings. England were found wanting, they had no answers. Often there would be a lazy drive, an ill-advised leave or an ugly swipe, as if to say "we surrender".
Because surrender is exactly what England did. It is something that Graham Gooch, the England batting coach, Andy Flower, the England head coach, and Alastair Cook will come under severe flak for. The English batting line-up has never been so decimated and subject to so much criticism for the whole duration of Flower's tenure.On the wrong side of 30 & having shown very little in this tour, Carberry is unlikely to feature again. Doubts & concerns remain over Trott (who succumbed to a stress-related illness and left the tour after the first test) & there are whisperings over the futures of Pietersen and Prior, who was dropped. Change is afoot for the English batting order after a winter of discontent.
On the receiving end of markedly less criticism would be the English bowling. That is not to say they are immune, far from it; though they did get England into some good positions at times. It may be difficult to remember, but in the very first innings of the series the English attack bowled Australia out for 295 - a very good effort on a flat pitch. The English bowlers managed to get England a first innings lead in Melbourne, but in that Test and indeed throughout the whole series, the batsmen simply failed to back up their efforts.
One criticism that England did come in for with regards to their bowling was a usual one; that they bowled too short. It may explain why the Australians were frequently let off the hook. The last five wickets for Australia managed to add over 1,000 runs to their total over the course of the series, and Brad Haddin, the Australian wicket-keeper, finished the series as the second-highest run scorer after completely conquering the English short bowling time and again.
Australia's batting took full advantage of England's beleaguered bowlers. Five Australian batsman averaged over 40 this series, with David Warner (average of 58.1) and Brad Haddin (average of 61.6) being the stand-outs. There were ten centuries made over the course of the series by an Australian batsman. Everyone in the Australian top seven made at least a ton, with the exception of George Bailey who had a tough series. It was also a series in which Australia were finally settled on their best eleven and used the very same eleven for all five Test matches. It was consistency that really aided Australia in this series, something far different and far removed from the reverse series in England where Australia struggled with their selection. The main six Australian batsman were also the six-highest run scorers of the series, another mark of how England were completely dominated in every facet.