Big man delivers: Tim Bresnan celebrates the wicket of Shane Watson
Session one: Australia 55/1.
The hosts make a slow start after winning the toss and opting to bat on green-tinged wicket. Scoring just 15 runs in the opening 45 minutes, Australia’s openers pick up the run rate and approach lunch in a solid position on 55 without loss. However, Chris Tremlett picks up a wicket with the final ball before the break as Phil Hughes fends a lifter to Paul Collinwood in the slips.
Verdict: Drawn.
Session two: Australia 111/2.
Usman Khawaja makes his debut at No.3 for Australia and he gets off to a lightening start, striking 15 runs off his first eight balls. Shane Watson joins in too, striking his first boundary on his 89th ball as the hosts accelerate the scoring rate after lunch. But the light gets bad and just 43 minutes after the interval, the players are off. The delay is just eight minutes, though, before – under floodlights – the teams are back on. Australia pass 100 and then Tim Bresnan induces Watson into a prod to Andrew Strauss in the slips and another wicket is down. Stand-in captain Michael Clarke strides on to the field to a mixed reception but promptly drives his first delivery for three. Bad light and light rain showers force the players off again for an early tea 24 minutes before the scheduled break.
Verdict: Drawn.
Session three: Australia 134/4.
After a delay if more than hour – which included tea – the players are back on and England make a breakthrough early in the session and it’s a big wicket – stand-in skipper Michael Clarke. ‘Pup’ edges Tim Bresnan to James Anderson in the slips. He has made just four and his wicket swings the balance of the match back towards England, who now have their opponents 113 for three. Mike Hussey joins Khawaja at the crease and Mr Cricket has some scratchy moments early in his innings. It’s Khawaja, though, who is next to go – Graeme Swann getting the new man after he top edges the spinner to Jonathan Trott at square leg.
Verdict: England
Test in a tweet: ‘England take control on an attritional, rain-affected day as Michael Clarke’s first day in the Test captaincy is a black one in every sense of the word.’
Facebook friend: Usman Khawaja.
The first Muslim to play Test cricket for Australia made a composed debut. He may have scored just 37 but the Pakistan-born batsman looks the real deal and he seems a nice guy too. Off the field the 24-year-old is addicted to his games console, loves to play the guitar and is a qualified pilot. Khawaja went to the same school too as Michael Clarke and footballer Harry Kewell. Now he has joined them on the world stage.
Unfriend: Michael Clarke.
He’s brash, he’s flash and even the Aussies aren’t fond of ‘Pup’. A poll in the Sydney Morning Herald only gave him a 15 per cent approval rating among its readers and that was in his home town. Clarke’s been Australia’s captain-in-waiting for years now and Ricky Ponting’s injury has given him chance to show he is a real leader in Test cricket. But he messed up when his first chance to prove that came. Firstly he opted to bat in seam-friendly conditions when he won the toss and then made just four with the bat. It wasn’t the best start. In fact, it was pretty bad.
Mum of the day: Usman Khawaja’s, shown on the big screen at the SCG when her boy was batting and looking very nervous – wringing her hands and rocking back and forth. Her son looked far more composed.
Stupid rule of the day: Punters at the SCG were not allowed out of the ground at all during the day – well, not if they wanted to come back for the cricket. Most grounds issue pass-outs so people can pop out for food or drinks. Not here, leading to severe overcrowding around the ground at lunch and during the rain delay, when people came out of the stands for shelter.
Download of the day: Here comes the rain again by the Eurythmics