Smith's century showed England how to bat at the WACA... but Johnson has other ideas

When Steve Smith arrived at the crease shortly before lunch on day one in Perth, England’s fielders were waiting for him, as chirpy as ever. One told Smith that he was a match away from being dropped. In his darkest moments, Smith may have feared as much, too.

When he departed for the safety of the dressing room four hours and 38 minutes later, however, not including the various breaks and rest stops, it could be safely assumed that Smith would be around for the remainder of the series – and maybe a few more to come.
Few of England’s senior men can say the same with any degree of certainty. Matt Prior, Kevin Pietersen, James Anderson, Graeme Swann – several household names will be playing for their professional lives over the next few days at the WACA. The Ashes are obviously at stake, but more besides. The dreaded period of transition could be about to begin.

Courageous: Steve smith played his way to a fabulous hundred on the first day in Perth

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If the urn is surrendered here, and in straight Test matches too, the rebuilding process may start sooner rather than later. The next Ashes series is scheduled for summer 2015, and England should have a very different look by then.
Ricky Ponting, the former Australian captain, reeled off a significant list of English players he considered over the hill. Prior – who denied being Smith’s sledger – was the first name on that list.
'Definitely past his best,' was Ponting’s verdict. The wicket-keeper has more reason to be fearful than Smith right now; and if he forgets that when batting, no doubt Australia’s No 5 will be on hand to remind him.
Time is on Smith’s side. He is 24, ten years younger than Swann, say – and while he hasn’t looked wholly comfortable in Ashes contests so far, there was huge potential in Friday’s unbeaten century which steered Australia through from a position of weakness, to one that many observers thought was a strong platform for bringing the Ashes home.
Smith came to the wicket at 106-3 and stumps were drawn on 326-6. That total is no more than par, in truth, except England have been playing more like 18 handicappers on this tour.
The total Australia had on the board overnight, England are yet to make in Australia. Were Australia to then add just 52 runs they would be asking England to match a total that they have not posted in any Ashes innings in this back-to-back series.
After a strong start it wasn’t a good day for England and the most worrying aspect of it was that bowling was supposed to be the visitors’ strong suit. Having failed to clear up Australia’s tail again, and remove a batsman supposedly fighting for his Test existence, England’s weakest discipline is to come.
Mitchell Johnson will be quicker, nastier and more intimidating on this surface than any of England’s bowlers – and unless the tourists strike early the same could be true of his batting, too. He was 39 not out overnight. Going into Perth, in 28 innings so far on this tour, England’s top seven batsmen have posted individual scores in excess of that on just seven occasions.

No plan B? England's engine room of Stuart Broad, James Anderson and Alastair Cook unsure what to do next

Piling on the runs: Australia recovered in the final session with a century partnership between Smith and Haddin

Smith’s 103 would be the highest score recorded by an England batsman since Ian Bell’s 113 in Durham last August. He was batting under pressure, too.
Bizarrely, and against all the available evidence, England had almost become the clever money bet in the build-up to this Test match. That sometimes happens when things become so bad that it is perceived they can only get better. Perhaps that would happen in Perth, some speculated, optimistically.
England have performed so poorly, the only way is up. And when several Australian wickets fell cheaply, including captain Michael Clarke and the in-form David Warner, it briefly seemed to be so. Sadly, Smith’s innings – ably supported by Brad Haddin and then Johnson - reminded that this is a team in crisis and so short of confidence, that any reversal of fortune will shake it to the core.

90mph plus: On an even faster track, Johnson will be looking to bounce out England's 11

So when Smith dug in, England wilted. Their second session with the new ball was as lacklustre and ineffectual as any spell witnessed on this tour. The sole mitigation could be found in the extreme conditions and the length of the day.
We make excuses for our footballers if the mercury tips 75 degrees, but nobody cuts a touring cricket team slack in conditions that are entirely alien to men from the northern hemisphere. It was over 40 degrees on Friday – 104.1 Fahrenheit in old money – and England were simply cooked to exhaustion by the end.
Stuart Broad, in particular, had a poor day. He was still England’s leading wicket-taker, tied with Swann, and one of the few who got a batsman out by virtue of wit rather than fortune – enticing George Bailey into a foolish hook with a succession of short-pitched deliveries – but his two initial spells with the new ball were horrid.

Desperate for runs: Matt Prior is playing for his international career in the final three games

Johnson's prey: Skipper Cook is another searching for some runs

His first lasted three overs at a cost of 22, and late in the day, when the second cherry came around, he bowled three for 15 runs. Australia takes acute delight, still, in Broad’s misfortune and, well-oiled with shadows lengthening, a familiar refrain rang out across the WACA.
Smith, meanwhile, had reached his century with a well-timed pull from Ben Stokes, who was also ordinary after an encouraging debut in Adelaide. At this of all grounds, England’s attack appear little more than a series of dreary support acts, until the headliner comes on.
At some time on Saturday, Johnson will stand almost pawing the turf and the atmosphere inside this finest of cricket grounds will be electric. The WACA is made for contests like this. It is rough around the edges, ugly in parts, but as other stadiums become bland and corporate, increasingly it stands alone.

Who England rely on: Kevin Pietersen, who hung onto a good catch to dismiss George Bailey, has also been short of runs, but will always find a space in the team should he be fit and motivated

Most impressive are the six giant concrete floodlight pylons, visible from just about anywhere in the city, almost Soviet in their monolithic oppressiveness. They stare down, like mighty tombstones and already this has the feel of England’s burial ground.
A fast, true wicket is a pleasure for a batsman in good nick, but tests the nerve by aiding explosive bounce to a bowler’s armoury. England’s performance suggested we will need to see Johnson in action to discover its true potential.
Either way, it is a marvellous venue and one that all cricketers must hope to visit many times in a career. Smith can be sure he will pass this way again; his opponents, for all their lippy bullishness, not so much.

How not to bat at the WACA: Michael Clarke and David Warner both got starts before getting themselves out