Yeah we only need to draw the series to retain the Ashes, but we want to win outright. Last time in Australia they whipped us 5-0, we're still a bit sore.
I don't think there was any way we could get into a serious winning position after the first innings, we batted badly and they batted well. It was simply a case of staying in bat to secure the draw, and once we had done that, have a go at them and see if we can get the ball doing anything. It was always going to be unlikely, but it was right to put them in bat and at least put some pressure on them. We got an early wicket, it might have been different if we got Ponting too. Having said that, I think once we got past lunch, we should've just started to slog the ball, let the wickets fall, and clock up a much higher run rate, giving us more overs to attack. 517-all out with 40 overs left is better than 517-1 with 25 overs left.
Still, I'm more than happy with the draw, the first test can be crucial, we don't want to be playing catch-up from the off.
Originally Posted by wufwugy
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