Ashes 2013: Tim Bresnan not surprised by Australia fightback
Ashes 2013: England's Tim Bresnan says the hosts never expected Australia to roll over after the tourists posted 303-3 on day one
Tim Bresnan insisted England weren’t expecting Australia to simply roll over after the tourists posted 303-3 on day one of the third Test at Old Trafford.
Australia opener Chris Rodgers posted a positive 84 despite Shane Watson failing to convert a start, meaning Michael Clarke was again called to the crease early in an innings.
However, the Wallabies captain produced an unbeaten 125 – helped by a third-wicket stand of 47 runs – and Bresnan admitted the hosts found it hard work on an unforgiving Old Trafford wicket.
“The sun was out all day and the Aussies played really well,” Bresnan told BBC Sport.
“As soon as the ball got a bit old and a bit soft it stopped swinging around. It’s playing pretty well, the wicket, and there’s not much out there.
“You just have to be very patient, put the balls in the right areas and beat the bat a lot. Tomorrow morning we may go past the edge or they may nick it – that’s the fine margins in this game.”
He added: “We didn’t think they would [roll over] – we stuck to our task well but they’ve played pretty well.
“The ball’s not really done a lot off the wicket, it swung for periods but when the sun’s good and the wicket’s flat there’s not a lot you can do, you’ve got to stick to your areas and I thought we did that.
“We just let the umpires do their job – if it’s tight we might review the decision, it’s frustrating when it goes against you but you’ve got to accept the umpire’s decision.
“The technology is still relatively new, we’ve got to use it for the best of our ability. You’ve got a split second to make a decision, you have to take the emotion out of it and make the best decision you can.”
