Sydney Test, Day 4
Sunday, January 5, 2003

It's all there for the taking for England. They have dominated the whole match, and fully deserve to be in a winning position. Even though they were a bit conservative in the last hour of their innings, they made up for that with some good new-ball bowling.

I hope there won't be any rain interrupting tomorrow's play, and that England don't come to regret that wasted hour. Even though they should have pushed on, I can understand their conservatism. One look at the wicket, and what it did in the first 20 overs of Australia's innings this evening, tells me that 400 has to be enough. But, the more England get into these situations, the more daring they can afford to be with their declarations.

They simply have no positive experiences against Australia to judge by, but they should get out with victory. The wicket is bad enough, and England are motivated enough to perform. Michael Vaughan's innings was superb once again, but his situation was very different to anything Australia will face tomorrow.

When England were two-down for plenty, Vaughan and Nasser Hussain were able to enjoy the sort of mindset that Australia have had all series. The boot is completely on the other foot. Tomorrow it will be Australia with cluttered minds and they are sure to be short of ideas. Playing one's shots seems to be the way to go, but if one keeps low or leaps at the gloves, even that approach will be risky. Batting is going to be a real chore tomorrow.

For the first time ever, Hussain was able to laugh when a good ball ripped into his gloves or chest – knowing that Australia would have to survive on the same track. In the past, when England have won a dead-rubber match against the Aussies – such as The Oval 1997 or Melbourne 1998-99 – they haven't dominated throughout. This is a completely new scenario.

One or two umpiring decisions were a little unconvincing, but that's fine. You've got to take the rough with the smooth, and I'm sure Langer and Hayden have had their share of good fortune in their time. Luck always seems to assist the team in charge – one break gives you a chance to create more chances, which in turn leads to more luck.

I'm not sure if it was Hayden who broke that window, but it is clear that the Aussies still desperately want to win this game. They have been a bit light on energy in this match, and a touch undermanned as well, and England have produced the best batting. So all the pressure is on Australia, and that can lead to desperation. One or two Australians were a little upfront with their reactions today.

I don't know what to make of Andrew Bichel's promotion, to be honest. I don't like it, it's a strange one. He was lucky to get away with it, and I imagine Ponting would have been able to do much the same job at No. 3. Presumably he was clearing the way for the big hitters later by taking the shine off the ball, but when the openers went, Australia ought to have reeled in their ambitions and setting about digging in.

Even with a broken index finger, Bichel's timing was fantastic. I hope he goes onto make a decent score, as I believe he is a better player than he has let on. Reaching his 50 would be the first hurdle. Thereafter he needs to camp down at the other end, play a great supporting role, and then who knows what score he could sneak to.

I don't honestly think Australia will mind whether they win or lose tomorrow. Ideally, I'd like them to fight tooth and nail to save the game, but I reckon they'll try to bluff their way through. If they lose wickets as a consequence, then so be it. I'd love it to go down to the wire, with a tight draw or an England win. But I really don't think it will.

Ian Healy, who kept wicket for Australia in six winning Ashes series, will be providing his Expert View at the end of each day's play in the Tests. He was talking to Andrew Miller.

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