The Ashes 2013: 1st Test - Which way will Day 2 "Swing"?

Australia’s Michael Clarke is bowled by England’s James Anderson on the first day of the first Test of the 2013 Ashes series at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, England on July 10, 2013. (Getty Images)

James Anderson ran in and released the ball. It swung-in mid-air, pitched on a length, shaped past Michael Clarke‘s outside edge, kissed the top of the off-stump and gently dislodged the off-bail.

The Aussie skipper held his forward defensive pose for a second or two, nodded in acknowledgement and then walked back to the pavilion. Anderson ran past his mates celebrating the prized scalp, as that delivery – on its own accord – signalled to the cricket world that the battle for the Urn had officially begun.

However, an hour before the Clarke dismissal, the scene was a little different. On a typical murky English morning, England skipper, Alastair Cook, won the toss and elected to bat. That was the first of two wrong decisions from the Englishman. He made the next one almost immediately, as he chased a wide one outside off, trying to play an extravagant drive off James Pattinson.

From then on, it was the Peter Siddle show. The burly Aussie workhorse ran in, hit the driving length and let the ball do the rest. The English batsmen, also, did their bit by playing too many shots. Joe Root was uprooted by a yorker, Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell played half-hearted pokes while Jonathan Trott dragged one back.

Historically, Trent Bridge has been a rough venue for the English batsmen but a stunning spell from Siddle and an array of senseless shot selection made it even worse for Cook’s men.

While England played perfect hosts by letting the Aussies have the early advantage, Clarke’s men handed it right back by the end of the day. If the morning saw Siddle roar in to break the back of the English batting, the evening had Anderson and Steven Finn display a few tricks of their own.

Day 1 ended with England leading by 140 runs and Australia in search for a revival. Darren Lehmann has been a part of a very strong Australian unit and right now, his side needs to instil a bit of steel in that wobbly batting order.

Agreed, Anderson and Finn delivered a flawless opening burst but the batsman needs to accept their share of blame too. Shane Watson and Ed Cowan went fishing outside the off-stump; Chris Rogers played one round his pads and got a marginal call while Clarke was cleaned up by a brute of a delivery from Anderson.

Tottering at 53/4, Australia needed a counter-punch and Steve Smith, with his unusual ways, tried to provide one. There’s not much batting left, so, Smith needs to keep going if Australia harbours any hope of a lead. With his unorthodox technique, Smith is the ideal man to upset the rhythm of the English bowlers, and his busy nature also keeps the scoreboard ticking.

On the other end, Phil Hughes needs to put up his hand and justify his place in the side. After a forgettable India tour, Hughes, now has to prove his mettle in this series as there is a certain Usman Khawaja waiting in the wings. With just Brad Haddin and the tail to follow, Australia needs a big performance from these two on Day 2.

For the English camp, however, it’s a bitter-sweet feeling. After completely messing up with the bat, the England bowlers have forced a comeback. Anderson and Finn have already put in a commendable shift and Graeme Swann would hope to extract some turn from the wicket. The ball will grip nicely if there is any juice in the track but Stuart Broad’s injury might leave them a bowler short and increase the work load for the rest.

14 wickets for just 290 runs, the first day has already showed that the bowlers will rule the roost in this Test match. Unless the rain god plays spoilsport, this Test match will definitely have a result and might not even last the five days. With a see-saw action packed first day, the Ashes has already lit up. England will bat again but Australia would like to delay that as long as possible.

Will England nip Australia out of the game? Can the Aussies reverse their fortunes? Whatever happens, Day 2 promises quite a few mysteries that might unveil which way this Test match eventually “swings!”