Australia are comfortably the best side in the world and even though England sit favourably in the chasing pack the

Australia are comfortably the best side in the world, and even though England sit favourably in the chasing pack the gulf in class is wide. Anything less and Australia will be too good, even in third gear.There is hope, however. And to find it, Hussain and his coach, Duncan Fletcher, need look no further than this time last year when New Zealand arrived on these shores. In a three-match series that was drawn 0-0, the Kiwis gave Steve Waugh’s side a real fright and would actually have won but for an attack of nerves in Brisbane and some diabolical umpiring in the Third Test in Perth.Analysis of how New Zealand almost became the first side to win in Australia since West Indies in 1992-93 is revealing, because it highlights the importance of Australia’s two leading bowlers. Since the 2001 Ashes series in England, which the Aussies won 4-1 largely through the efforts of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, who took 63 wickets at an average of 17.81, Australia have played 12 Tests. In nine of those, against South Africa and Pakistan, McGrath and Warne were just as destructive – taking 104 wickets at an average of 19.1.Over this period a staggering 63.4 per cent of the wickets Australia’s bowlers captured were by these two, and you do not have to be Einstein to work out that they are the major threat to England’s batsmen.The control they give Waugh’s side is awesome, and the stranglehold they put on the opposition as tight as the grip of a boa constrictor. On a typical fielding day for the Baggy Greens, McGrath and Warne will bowl 55 of the 90 overs available.

The fact that they only go for 2.5 runs an over and take a wicket every 56 balls translates to a total of about 140 for 6 while the ball is in their hands. The batting side have to make pretty good progress during the rest of the day to get a score on the board.However, against New Zealand, the pair took only 11 wickets at an average of 68.82. The moral of the story for England then is: keep McGrath and Warne out and Australia are relatively toothless. Easier said than done against two world-class performers, of course, but again, an analysis of the methods New Zealand used is instructive.If we start with McGrath, the first thing to assess is how he gets batsmen out. Statistics again show the way, because 65 to 70 per cent of the big fellow’s wickets are to catches between the wicket-keeper and cover point.

Bowling an immaculate line, his plan is to draw batsmen into playing just outside off stump. What the New Zealand captain, Stephen Fleming, and his coach worked out – with the aid of video technology – is that only about one ball an over from McGrath would actually hit the stumps The instructions given to the Kiwi batsmen were simple. If in doubt, leave him.They did, and to such effectthat it was McGrath who became frustrated. Then he got angry and started bowling too straight in his efforts to make the batsmen play. In the end McGrath was actually being dictated to by the batsmen, which is something he is unaccustomed to.