Filed under: Cricket, The Ashes, England Cricket, Tests, Australia Cricket
Day one (close of play): Australia 134-4Michael Clarke's brave decision to bat first in his bid to salvage some Ashes pride for Australia backfired on a rain-interrupted day at the SCG.
Ricky Ponting's replacement came out fighting after calling correctly under overcast skies in Sydney, but was pegged back by some patient bowling as England had to work harder for Australian wickets in their quest to win the series.
Only two previous England captains have won the Ashes home and away and Andrew Strauss is in a good position to join that elite band - but at least Australia looked a more relaxed and disciplined unit, after being blown away in Melbourne.
Openers Shane Watson and Phillip Hughes showed tremendous self-restraint for almost the entire first session, when the ball was seaming around, by leaving the ball well outside off-stump.
The openers were four balls away from surviving the first session when Hughes edged Chris Tremlett, the pick of England's bowlers, to third slip.
Watson, who has four half centuries in the series, but no century, battled hard for his 45 and and did not manage a boundary during the first two hours, before he fell to Tim Bresnan, pushing forward and offering a catch to Strauss at slip.
Usman Khawaja, was awarded his baggy green shortly before play and looked as composed and as technically correct as any batsman who has represented the home side so far.
He collected five fours in his 95-ball stay for 37 until an excellent piece of captaincy by Strauss, by keeping Jonathan Trott in close at square leg as Graeme Swann persuaded the 24-year-old to offer up a catch to the Warwickshire man with a top-edged sweep shot.
James Anderson the leading wicket taker of the series was out of luck, finding swing, but no reward and the moisture in the wicket saw him slip in his opening over. The uncertainty left him below his usual best and he also gained a warning for his follow-through from umpire Billy Bowden.
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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/01/03/fifth-test-day-one-england-on-top-again-as-clarkes-bold-start/
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