Aussies make experience tell

Australia have played the first two days superbly. What they have done is to apply their experience.

Justin Langer was scratchy early on – the comment from Bob which provoked such outrage here contained a grain of truth – but he imposed his will, converted nerves into nervous energy, and targeted Steve Harmison as surely as Harmison targeted him last time round. Ricky Ponting was back to his magnificent best, and showed with his anger at getting out that he wanted a second hundred as much as the first.

Mike Hussey, a highly experienced novice, played shrewd second fiddle. The tail rubbed England's faces in it: Stuart Clark batted with the fearlessness of a man who waited a long time for the limelight and is going to enjoy it while it lasts. Glenn McGrath was gifted one wicket, but had the nous and skill to produce a snorter next ball and turn one into two. Only Adam Gilchrist failed to make his experience tell.

The seven most seasoned players on the field are all Australian. The most experienced Englishman, Andrew Flintoff, is also having to be the captain, the talisman and the leader of the pack. His one clear mistake today was not to realise that his best bowler was himself and bowl at the start. Around him, there was plenty of bowling experience, but with Harmison's action in tatters, it was only when Matthew Hoggard had that one over of brief, belated glory – with a little help from the massively experienced Steve Bucknor – that it made any impact.

England's batting is extremely unused to Australian conditions, and it showed. Andrew Strauss made a misjudgment, and one wicket became three. But as the series goes on, experience should become less of an advantage, and youth more of one. The god of injuries, currently smiling on Australia, should change sides. Tests two and five, the back-to-backers, should be easier for young legs. But not if England are regularly kept out in the field for two days.

This was always the Test Australia were most likely to win. On top of the Gabba factor, England were underprepared, missing two or three players, and their selection was both too defensive (no Monty) and too risky (lashings of rust). If England get out of jail now, it will almost feel like a victory. If they don’t, they will just have to do a 2005 and bounce straight back. They can afford to lose two Tests in this series – but not the first two.