Finally a team has emerged and has all the capabilities for it to be on top of the world to match the once invincible “Aussies”. Full credit to Michael Vaughan and his men for such an astonishing series and every match was down to the wire and I wish they don’t play the final test for a draw.
The 5th and final test between England and Australia begins today at the Oval. It has definitely been the best series played this year and we will have to wait and see whether England takes the ashes or the Aussies win this match and retain it.
Australia has been holding the ashes since 1989 for 16 long years and no other team in the world has been as dominant as the Aussies for the past decade or so. However, things have changed and this is the only time we are witnessing a tough competition, after the Aussies lost to India in 2001 which they claim to be the best test series ever played in the history of the game. Here is the England team that has all the ingredients in it to become the best team in the world and that could match and threaten the world champions. It will be good to see how the Aussies face this challenge and pressure if England takes the ashes.
It has been a long time since one witnessed swing bowling in test cricket, for it’s the most potent weapon in any form of cricket. The art of swing bowling has long been forgotten since the day Waqar and Akram retired. The current trend is more towards bowling fast and there has not been much emphasis on swing. Today it’s all about hitting the deck at 90+mph and everybody is trying to do that. As Bob Simpson said, one must try to nurture and hone one’s natural skills instead of emulating some great bowler. John Wright met Bob Simpson before India’s tour to Australia and wanted to know what strategy to adopt to beat Australia in Australia. Simpson’s advice was that India should pick Ajit Agarkar who was a swing bowler and infact he did trouble the Aussies that series. Simon Jones has certainly done most of the damage in this series with his controlled swing bowling and it will be a great loss for England in the fifth and final test without him.
No doubt, England has outplayed Australia in all departments and there are a few things that I feel was responsible for the downfall of the Aussies and let me brief them here.
One of the main reasons why Aussies didn’t fare well in this series is mainly due to their inability to handle swing bowling, be it the new ball or the old ball. However, it is tough for any team to handle swing bowling and the pace trio in Harmison (harmo), Flintoff (Freddie) and Simon Jones have consistently troubled the strong batting line-up of the world champs. Simon Jones’s extraordinary ability to swing the old ball has done good to his side and has kept the aussies guessing while Flintoff has been consistently troubling Gilly who has fallen prey to him time and again this series. This shows that England has done a great deal of homework and they are mentally prepared to challenge the world champs and take that number one spot and be on top. All said and done, Ponting was unhappy over the fact that England used the substitutes frequently to ensure that their quick’s rested more in between overs and this is an important point to be noted.
More importantly the Aussies have not learned from their mistakes. They have been bowling too many no-balls and they lacked control. They certainly need to look into it and overcome that if they were to win the final test.
Langer has been out so many times at short leg and still he hasn’t rectified the mistake as his toes always point towards point before he positions himself to play the ball and this mistake was rightly pointed out by Simpson. Hayden has been too arrogant despite his bad run and form and Martyn is always stuck in the crease without playing fully forward or backward. It’s high time that the Aussies realize their mistakes and they need to step down from their arrogance and pride if they were to win the final test and retain the ashes.
Shane Warne has given his best despite losing his family and it is really surprising that he averages highest with 33 and odd with the bat and has certainly the best bowling figures and average with the highest number of wickets (28). Glenn McGrath who as usual said so much before the ashes started, sadly had to miss 2 out of the 4 tests played due to ankle and elbow injuries has finally soothed his ego and has given credit to the English bowlers who have really outplayed them. However, McGrath has promised to deliver his best and is confident that the Aussies will retain the ashes.
Finally, the game is bigger than anyone and my mind says it’s gonna be England but my heart says and will always say it’s the Aussies. Let’s see who lifts the Urn!!!!!!!!
