Day two at the Gabba

What a perfect advert for Test cricket, a game swinging back and fourth so much that a pendulum would struggle to keep up with it. At one moment Australia are seemingly in the driving seat before a couple of quick wickets bring England steaming back in.

Yet a certain Mr. Cricket, aka Mike Hussey, was to have the last word, having survived a stroke of good fortune on his first ball. A gem of a delivery found the edge of a loose prod from the Western Australian, but sadly for England, dropped just shy of Graeme Swann at second slip.

Ever since the arrival of Twenty20, many fans, players and even clubs have been drawn in to the multi-million franchise. It is rare to find a Test match that can create 'oohhs' and 'aahhs' on every ball, so much so that every wicket or boundary is greeted by ecstasy or agony.

Tests' themselves have a similar feel to that of a story that you are reading / hearing for the first time, you simply cannot predict what is going to happen. Several people cannot understand that even after five days no result can be finalised.

But it is not the result that makes or breaks Test matches, it is the journey that you experience along the way. Boundaries, wickets, dropped catches, run-outs and referrals are just a few aspects that create the storyline for a match.

Even Shane Warne on Twitter revealed that he believes this series will be one to remember, even if the cricket isn't to the best of standards. The match in Brisbane is nicely poised and ready for someone to take the initiative.

Resuming on 25 without loss, the Baggy Green openers of Simon Katich (50) and Shane Watson (36) settled into their stride with ease. The heat was matched by the sunshine racing across the outfield, bathing the stadium for a terrific days cricket.

Watson departed first, nicking the flawless James Anderson to Andrew Strauss at slip. Skipper Ricky Ponting (10) joined the scene, taking the home side to lunch at 96-1. But a slack stroke from 'Punter', attempting to glance a leg-side delivery, only succeeded in dabbing the ball to the gleeful Matt Prior who claimed his 100th Test dismissal.

Now Michael Clarke is known for his confidence, but nerves were showing more than a child beginning their first day of school. The 29-year-old played and missed six times in a mind-numbing innings that mustered only nine runs in the space of 80 minutes.

Katich reached his half-century with a tidy knock down to fine-leg, before a fullish delivery from Steven Finn was knocked back in the direction of the Middlesex man, who somehow managed to crumble his 6ft 7inch frame to take a wonderful catch just off the deck. Shortly after, Clarke, clearly susceptible to the short delivery, eventually attempted a pull that took a top-edge to Prior.

Marcus North (1), a man whose form is as predictable as the weather, emerged as Graeme Swann's first victim, nicking the ball to Paul Collingwood at slip. The 31-year-old has now passed 25 runs in only five of his last 23 Test innings.

The afternoon session was one that England savoured, however the pendulum was to swing with one more mighty effort. Hussey produced an array of shots, including dispatching the unusually nervy Swann over mid-on for a maximum, whilst being aided by a confident Brad Haddin (22 n.o.).

So the scene is set, the characters are ready and round three is about to begin. Can you predict what will happen? The name is Test cricket.