Perth:This engrossing Ashes series turned on its axis in Perth today as Mitchell Johnson did what no Australian bowler has been able to do since the first day of the series and sliced through England like a stiletto on bubble-wrap.
Derided at Brisbane then dropped at Adelaide, Johnson produced a world-class spell of left-arm swing bowling at his favourite Test venue to claim 6 for 38 and hasten England from 78 without loss to a sobering 187 all out.
Steven Finn hit back with the wickets of Phil Hughes and Ricky Ponting, caught behind down the leg side for a single to continue his miserable sequence, before Chris Tremlett added the scalp of the equally out-of-form Michael Clarke. Day two - all the action as it happened at the WACA
Pure delight: England celebrate after the dismissal by review of captain Ricky Ponting But with Australia closing an often bad-tempered second day of this fast-forward Test on 119 for 3, an overall lead of 200, the game remains theirs to lose.
If, as now seems probable, the sides to go Melbourne for the Boxing Day Test all-square at 1-1, expect some fireworks in the last two Tests.
The Australian fightback was foreseen by practically no one, even if Mike Hussey had done his patriotic duty at Thursday’s press conference by claiming his side’s first-innings 268 was far from below-par.
One local paper saw it rather differently, superimposing fried eggs on the faces of the four Australian selectors on this morning’s back page and rejoicing in a suitably predictable headline.
Down and out: Ponting (left) leaves the field after being dismissed by Steve Finn And when England moved to 78 without loss inside the first hour, it seemed the pressmen had it about right. Andrew Strauss’s unpunished edge between Brad Haddin and Shane Watson at first slip when he had 16 tapped into the prevailing mood.
But Johnson was cranking things up from the Prindiville Stand End – as if in answer to those who had questioned Cricket Australia’s decision to send him off for coaching with Troy Cooley after the Adelaide debacle rather than have him play for Western Australia.
Star of the show: Mitchell Johnson takes applause from the Perth crowd for his display First he removed the apparently unmovable Alastair Cook, caught low down for 32 by Mike Hussey in the gully after an old-style loose drive outside off. Still, as that took Cook’s series aggregate to 482 in four innings, it was hard to carp.
Johnson, though, had only just got going. Producing inswing to England’s right-handed middle-order – a sight not witnessed since he unsettled South Africa two years ago – he won a trio of lbw appeals against Jonathan Trott (4), Kevin Pietersen (a third-ball 0) and Paul Collingwood (5).
In between, Harris had Strauss caught behind for 52, but it was Johnson who had revived Australian hopes: with five wickets going down in 50 balls, Johnson claiming four of them for seven runs in 27 deliveries, England’s champagne was back on ice.
Johnson later applied salt to the wounds by suggesting he had been fired up by his war of pleasantries with Jimmy Anderson on the first day.
He also claimed he had been badgered by Kevin Pietersen, who supposedly kept asking Johnson for his phone number, so mock-keen was KP to befriend a bowler who had previously struggled.
Meanwhile, not for the first time in the series, Ian Bell looked a class above anyone else, and for a while consolidated with Matt Prior. But as Johnson rested either side of lunch, Ponting instructed Peter Siddle to attack England with bouncers from round the wicket.
It was grim fare, but somehow the end justified the means. As Prior tried to deflect another rib-tickler to leg, the ball rebounded off his hip onto his gloves and then back on to leg-stump. In other words, a complete fluke.
Making a stand: Ian Bell was England's highest run scorer with 53
Stumped: Matt Prior looks down in horror as the ball falls from his body onto the stumps Siddle and Prior swapped observations as the England keeper walked off for 12, before Ponting gave him a final blast from the safety of a jubilant and pumped-up team huddle. If that looked ugly, then both teams were beyond caring about appearances. Things are getting desperate out there.
From 145 for 6 England tried to rally once more, and the elegant Bell eked 36 out of the seventh wicket before Graeme Swann feathered Harris to Brad Haddin – at which point things unravelled alarmingly.
Bell sliced a wide one from Harris to Ponting at second slip to depart for 53 – his 11th Ashes half-century without converting to three figures – before Johnson knocked over Chris Tremlett’s off-stump and had Anderson wafting to first slip in the next over. Cue another send-off.
Howzat: Mitchell Johnson claims the wicket of dangerman Kevin Pietersen as England's middle order wobbles While Australia’s last five wickets had added 199 in their first innings, England’s final four had put on just seven – and all 10 had fallen for 107 on a pitch that remained good for batting.
Australia reemerged with a lead of 81 knowing that no side has won an Ashes Test here after trailing on first innings.
Briefly, it seemed as there would be another twist. After conceding 14 off a poor first over, Finn squared up Hughes on 12 to provoke a nick to Collingwood at third slip, then caught Ponting’s glove on the way through to Prior down the leg-side.
Duck for cover: Shane Watson steadied the Australian ship with a sensible 50 Umpire Marais Erasmus remained unmoved, but England called for a referral and replays showed a clear glove, the evidence of the naked eye backed up by both Hot-Spot and Snicko.
Tremlett then continued Michael Clarke’s poor series when he persuaded Australia’s vice-captain to drag on an attempted back-foot force. With Clarke gone for 20, Australia were 64 for 3 – a lead of 145.
Breakthrough: Chris Tremlett once again looked dangerous with the ball as he claimed the wicket of Michael Clarke But Watson put together his third half-century of the series and Hussey , Australia’s answer to Cook, kept him effervescent company.
England are not out of this game yet. But it will need a stirring fightback if they are to secure the Ashes before everyone heads for Melbourne.
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