England suffered one of their heaviest-ever Ashes Test defeats Sunday when Australia hammered them by 381 runs at the Gabba with a day to spare to go one-up in the series.
The tourists collapsed under the blistering pace of Mitchell Johnson and were all out for 179 late on the fourth day after they were skittled out for 136 in the first innings.
But Lehmann, who played a big part in Australia’s opening Test ambush with his individual plans for the English players, is expecting a far different match next up against the stung tourists.
Lehmann conceded Johnson’s momentum after taking nine match scalps in Brisbane could be stifled by the slower, batter-friendly conditions on the Adelaide drop-in wicket and said Australia were a long way from a finished product. ‘We’re miles off. We want to keep improving,’ he told reporters after the Gabba win.
‘We played well. The next Test is a different kettle of fish. We have some good plans, we like what we are doing but we start from scratch in Adelaide.
‘We may have to prepare a different way. ‘(Johnson’s momentum) depends what we get in Adelaide. We don’t know. He bowled beautifully in Brisbane. He was aggressive, he had bounce had confidence.’
Johnson also admitted after his man-of-the-match performance that ‘it could be a very different wicket in Adelaide’. Lehmann said he supported his team playing aggressive cricket against the Ashes holders after the first Test was marred by constant sledging.
‘I like them playing hard cricket. I like our boys being aggressive without crossing the line,’ he said. ‘It will be always hard fought between Australia and England. ‘It certainly was in the last Ashes series in England and has been over the years.
‘The ICC (International Cricket Council) deals with everything else and if they cross the line they will deal with it.’ Australia have already named an unchanged 12 for Adelaide, starting on December 5, although Lehmann said he had left the way open to add extra players if required.
‘We said we would pick the best side possible as long as everyone is 100 percent fit,’ he said. ‘So if (paceman) Ryan Harris is 100 percent fit he’ll play. ‘Every Test is important at the moment, obviously a good result at the Gabba but we’ll concentrate on Adelaide,’ he added.
Media hail ‘high and mighty’ Aus
SYDNEY: Australia’s emphatic humbling of England in the first Ashes Test was met with glee by the nation’s media on Monday that said ‘the spell is broken, the curse is lifted’.
After a 3-0 hammering by England in the Ashes that ended in August, the relief that Australia had finally got one over the old enemy was evident. ‘Clarke’s men are singing again,’ said The Australian broadsheet on its front page.
Their cricket writer Wayne Smith added: ‘The spell is broken, the curse lifted. Australia’s long wait for Ashes respectability is over. ‘Ever since the 2009 campaign in England, 16 Ashes Tests ago, Australia humiliatingly has been under the cosh from its oldest enemy, having lost three series in succession. And the fear was that there was more to come this summer.’
Instead, England suffered one of their heaviest-ever Ashes Test defeats, losing by 381 runs at the Gabba in Brisbane to go one-down in the five-Test series. In doing so, Australia ended a nine-Test stretch without a victory.
It was the commanding way in which they trounced England that excited the press with the Sydney Daily Telegraph suggesting the Ashes was all but won. ‘Gift wrap the Ashes and put them in the out tray,’ said the tabloid’s cricket writer Malcolm Conn.
‘History tells us that England’s stranglehold on the little urn will soon be broken. ‘In more than 80 years of Test cricket at the Gabba only twice has a team won an Ashes Test there and failed to press home the advantage.’
The tourists collapsed under the blistering pace of Mitchell Johnson and were all out for 179 late on the fourth day after they were skittled out for 136 in the first innings.
But Lehmann, who played a big part in Australia’s opening Test ambush with his individual plans for the English players, is expecting a far different match next up against the stung tourists.
Lehmann conceded Johnson’s momentum after taking nine match scalps in Brisbane could be stifled by the slower, batter-friendly conditions on the Adelaide drop-in wicket and said Australia were a long way from a finished product. ‘We’re miles off. We want to keep improving,’ he told reporters after the Gabba win.
‘We played well. The next Test is a different kettle of fish. We have some good plans, we like what we are doing but we start from scratch in Adelaide.
‘We may have to prepare a different way. ‘(Johnson’s momentum) depends what we get in Adelaide. We don’t know. He bowled beautifully in Brisbane. He was aggressive, he had bounce had confidence.’
Johnson also admitted after his man-of-the-match performance that ‘it could be a very different wicket in Adelaide’. Lehmann said he supported his team playing aggressive cricket against the Ashes holders after the first Test was marred by constant sledging.
‘I like them playing hard cricket. I like our boys being aggressive without crossing the line,’ he said. ‘It will be always hard fought between Australia and England. ‘It certainly was in the last Ashes series in England and has been over the years.
‘The ICC (International Cricket Council) deals with everything else and if they cross the line they will deal with it.’ Australia have already named an unchanged 12 for Adelaide, starting on December 5, although Lehmann said he had left the way open to add extra players if required.
‘We said we would pick the best side possible as long as everyone is 100 percent fit,’ he said. ‘So if (paceman) Ryan Harris is 100 percent fit he’ll play. ‘Every Test is important at the moment, obviously a good result at the Gabba but we’ll concentrate on Adelaide,’ he added.
Media hail ‘high and mighty’ Aus
SYDNEY: Australia’s emphatic humbling of England in the first Ashes Test was met with glee by the nation’s media on Monday that said ‘the spell is broken, the curse is lifted’.
After a 3-0 hammering by England in the Ashes that ended in August, the relief that Australia had finally got one over the old enemy was evident. ‘Clarke’s men are singing again,’ said The Australian broadsheet on its front page.
Their cricket writer Wayne Smith added: ‘The spell is broken, the curse lifted. Australia’s long wait for Ashes respectability is over. ‘Ever since the 2009 campaign in England, 16 Ashes Tests ago, Australia humiliatingly has been under the cosh from its oldest enemy, having lost three series in succession. And the fear was that there was more to come this summer.’
Instead, England suffered one of their heaviest-ever Ashes Test defeats, losing by 381 runs at the Gabba in Brisbane to go one-down in the five-Test series. In doing so, Australia ended a nine-Test stretch without a victory.
It was the commanding way in which they trounced England that excited the press with the Sydney Daily Telegraph suggesting the Ashes was all but won. ‘Gift wrap the Ashes and put them in the out tray,’ said the tabloid’s cricket writer Malcolm Conn.
‘History tells us that England’s stranglehold on the little urn will soon be broken. ‘In more than 80 years of Test cricket at the Gabba only twice has a team won an Ashes Test there and failed to press home the advantage.’