Sunday 12 July 2015 20:58, UK
Australia coach Darren Lehmann has hinted changes could be made for the second Investec Ashes Test at Lord's in the wake of their capitulation in Cardiff.
England won by 169 runs inside four days at the SWALEC Stadium to take the lead in the five-match series, with all-rounder Shane Watson seemingly the player most at risk of losing his place in the side.
Watson managed only 30 and 19 from his two innings with the bat – dismissed leg before in both knocks to take his career lbw dismissals to 29 – while delivering match bowling figures of 0-47 from 13 overs.
Mitchell Marsh could be in line to replace him in the Australia starting XI for the Lord’s Test and Lehmann indicated Watson’s place is under threat.
"At the end of day you don't want to be getting out lbw all the time and you want to make more runs. Shane would be disappointed, so are we," he said.
"It's one of those things where you have to find a way and that's something we probably didn't do as a batting group, not just Shane.
"We'll certainly look at the wicket and work out the best XI to win in those conditions and it means making changes, we'll make changes.
"That won't be an issue for the selection panel. It's going to be a tight call heading into the second Test.
"We can't control what just happened, what we can do is learn from it and make the right decisions going forward - that is selection and also the way we play."
Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin’s position also looks to be in some danger for the second Test at Lord’s.
The 37-year-old dropped England’s first innings centurion Joe Root second ball before he had got off the mark and looked untidy behind the stumps.
Fast bowler Mitchell Starc may also miss out, albeit through injury rather than poor form, although the tourists’ medical team have delivered an upbeat assessment of an ankle injury that troubled him in Cardiff.
Lehmann also came to the defence of Starc’s fellow pace bowler Mitchell Johnson, who struggled for form in the opening Test, failing to pick up a wicket in the first innings and taking 2-69 in the second.
The 33-year-old took 37 wickets on home soil in the 2013-14 series as Australia claimed a 5-0 sweep of Alastair Cook’s side but despite a disappointing performance in the Welsh capital, Lehmann came to his defence.
"I think he got better as the game went on. He was better in the second innings. The way he got (Ian) Bell out was quite exciting for us," added Lehmann.
"At end of the day he's a class bowler and if he gets it right then he certainly can run through sides."
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