00:00 [SILENCE]
00:05 You got the back there, guys?
00:24 Yeah.
00:25 There you go.
00:26 Thanks, everyone.
00:26 I'm going to run after the field for the lads.
00:29 This is the coach, Dan Vittori, here to talk to you tonight.
00:31 So if you've got a question for Dan, let us know.
00:34 [SILENCE]
00:40 Dan, that was clearly a tough day.
00:43 Did you feel there were times there,
00:44 particularly in that middle session,
00:46 where you actually lost control of the game?
00:49 I wouldn't say the game.
00:50 I think it was obviously a taxing session,
00:53 because Crawley was so dominant, and he played so well
00:55 right from the onset.
00:56 We always had some clear plans for him,
00:59 but he was too good on a wicket like this today.
01:01 So I think that period where him and Root got together,
01:04 it was almost all-out attack.
01:06 We knew how important that partnership was,
01:08 and the run rate obviously got away from us.
01:10 Where in the past, when we've gone to that plan,
01:12 we've still been able to manage the run rate.
01:14 And today, it wasn't possible, and that
01:16 was because two batsmen were too good on the day.
01:20 [SILENCE]
01:23 Dan, can you give us an update on how Mitch Stark is going?
01:26 It looked like he had an issue maybe with his leg,
01:28 in addition to the shoulder thing.
01:30 And also, what was going on with him coming off the ground
01:33 and then back on?
01:36 I think leg's good.
01:37 No issues there.
01:38 I think shoulder, obviously.
01:39 Saw what happened in the field.
01:41 He's currently got some ice on it.
01:42 I'm pretty confident that'll be right tomorrow.
01:44 He's just one of those guys who doesn't like to spend
01:46 too much time off the park, so he wanted to get on the field
01:49 as quickly as possible to see how it was.
01:52 But he got straight into a hot spot.
01:53 And I think three balls in a row got to him.
01:55 He didn't quite feel comfortable throwing it.
01:57 I haven't actually spoken to him,
01:59 but that's what it looked like.
02:00 But I think we're all pretty confident that he
02:02 can bounce back tomorrow.
02:03 Was he even going to bowl back right at the end there as well?
02:06 Well, that's why he went back on the field.
02:08 I think he felt confident that he could bowl just
02:11 from his warm-up balls.
02:15 But like I said, when he was put to the test,
02:18 three balls in a row, I think he just didn't quite feel right
02:20 throwing it in.
02:21 So that probably led to him jumping back off.
02:24 Brendan.
02:25 Dan, in your time playing, you had to juggle
02:29 captaincy as well as bowling responsibilities.
02:32 Do you ever find yourself in positions like that?
02:34 How difficult is it to keep captaincy and bowling plans
02:37 in mind, and how do you think Pat's going with that dual role?
02:40 I think it's different because the game's on such high octane
02:44 in terms of the series and the way that England play
02:48 and how good they've been, particularly today.
02:50 They're so aggressive and they take the game on.
02:52 So it's a constant factor trying to marry up your own bowling
02:57 versus the plans.
02:58 But I think through the whole series, I think Pat's been exceptional.
03:02 He likes advice.
03:04 He likes to talk to people around the group.
03:07 You see him often with Steve Smith.
03:09 So there's a lot of collaboration going on.
03:11 I think it's just one of those sessions where we pushed
03:13 exceptionally hard and England responded.
03:17 And I think the amount of boundaries in particular,
03:19 they were able to score even with the field set the way they were.
03:22 We just weren't able to mitigate that run rate at all.
03:25 So I think he's done an exceptional job all throughout the series.
03:28 Dan, there's obviously a lot of talk about Nathan Lyon
03:35 and what his absence means.
03:38 Just can you talk us through your thoughts on Australian
03:41 not playing a spinner?
03:43 Do you still think that was the right choice?
03:46 Well, I think there's obviously a number of factors in it.
03:48 First of all, that Mitchell Marsh played so well to put pressure
03:52 on the selectors and trying to balance up Cameron Green
03:55 coming back into the team.
03:58 Thoughts on the wicket and also with the potential weather conditions around.
04:01 So we potentially thought the Test match was going to be
04:05 of a shortened nature.
04:06 And also the way that England play, how aggressive they are,
04:09 how they can shorten the game up a little bit.
04:11 So I think there are a lot of things that went into it.
04:13 But obviously, it's the selector's call.
04:15 But I think it's one of the ones that we'll judge at the end of the Test match
04:18 rather than two days through.
04:20 Dan, you mentioned the tactics to Zach Crawley and Joe Root
04:27 obviously banging the ball in short and whatnot and bowling pretty straight.
04:30 Do you think, firstly, you got those right?
04:33 Obviously, Zach Crawley's been susceptible outside off a fair bit in the series.
04:36 And secondly, do you think that they were able to adjust quick enough
04:39 when they didn't go to plan, particularly in that middle session?
04:42 Well, I think, first of all, it's how well Crawley played.
04:45 I think it was an exceptional innings.
04:46 Like I mentioned, he was able to take the game to us,
04:48 like he has throughout the series.
04:50 He doesn't let any bowlers settle.
04:54 And his strike rate's phenomenal.
04:56 And today, he took it to another level.
04:58 I think that was the nature of the conditions as well.
04:59 It's a pretty flat surface.
05:01 There wasn't a lot of swing or seam on offer.
05:03 So it made it even more difficult.
05:05 But I just think it's the pressure they put on.
05:07 And probably more than anything, the way that Root got off to such a flying start.
05:11 We've had some success with the short ball to him.
05:14 In the previous test matches, and you can see that was a tactic again today.
05:17 But he dealt with it so well.
05:19 And more than just being able to not be under pressure from a wicket-taking perspective,
05:24 the fact that he was able to score so quickly
05:26 made it difficult to control that middle session.
05:29 We've got Dan, followed by Dan, followed by Dan, and Dan.
05:32 [laughter]
05:35 Hi, Dan.
05:37 [laughter]
05:39 One question, just to follow up.
05:41 You talked about Pat in terms of, I guess, captaining against that style of play.
05:45 I just wanted to ask if over the series there is any kind of, I suppose,
05:49 cumulative effect of having England do sort of just keep coming at you,
05:53 keep coming at you game by game, session by session.
05:57 And I suppose what that – I suppose what it's been for the team
06:00 to kind of deal with that day upon day.
06:03 Well, I think – I speak only from a bowling perspective.
06:05 I think it's been a challenge, but also a challenge that the bowlers have enjoyed.
06:11 Because there are wicket-taking options all the way through the series.
06:14 So, I feel like you've seen England only bat for 81 overs, I think, at most,
06:20 apart from their declaration.
06:22 So, it feels like the bowlers are in the game the whole time.
06:24 And I think it's trying to balance those two things up.
06:27 They're scoring quickly. You feel like you can take them out.
06:30 I'd take a wicket. Do you keep going? Do you keep pressing?
06:33 And probably today was the first day that our press was met with them going at seven and over.
06:38 And I think in the back of our minds, we always knew that England had this in them
06:43 because they play so aggressively.
06:45 And I think you see the respect that the players have for their tactics
06:49 with some of the fields that we've had to set to mitigate that at times.
06:52 But today was that perfect storm of them coming hard at us
06:56 and us not being able to come back against them with wicket-taking options,
07:01 which is what's allowed us to be ahead in the series so far, I think.
07:05 And just quickly, you mentioned perfect storm, the weather forecast for the next few days.
07:10 How much of a factor was that, in discussion, I guess, for the game?
07:16 And how do you view that now? Or do you just have to play the game as you like?
07:21 I think we have to. I think, obviously, England are in control.
07:23 But if we can come in tomorrow morning and get those final wickets for as few runs,
07:28 then it sets up for that final innings.
07:30 And the weather may play a part in that.
07:33 But I think the first session is a crucial one for us.
07:36 Thanks, Dan. Finish off with Dan.
07:38 Just on that, Dan.
07:40 I'm not trying to be funny there.
07:42 (LAUGHTER)
07:46 In terms of the weather, is there a point at which your mindset does turn towards draw first
07:53 when you consider the situation of the match and the series?
07:57 Look, I think it all leads to batting exceptionally well in the third innings.
08:01 And that's what will set up the rest of the game, as well as how we bowl tomorrow.
08:06 So, look, I think it will be about the performance rather than the result.
08:10 And I know that's easy to say, but we won't have a chance to have a say on the result
08:14 unless we do this next day well.
08:16 And I think that'll be the key messaging from Andrew and Paddy going forward,
08:21 that we have to do the third day well to give us a chance in the fourth and fifth days,
08:25 if there is play or if it is weather influenced.
08:29 Brilliant. Thanks, everybody.
08:31 Thank you.
08:33 (APPLAUSE)
08:35 [ Silence ]
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