We are merely 36 hours away from the start of the most anticipated test series of this year,"The Ashes". So how big is the ashes? As the Australian cricketers are saying in a commercial, it is huge,humongous and many other adjectives. Probably in last 2 decades no ashes series in down under started on an even kill like this one. As many experts saying that this time England has got a pretty big chance of winning series in Australia,I could not agree more with them. But is there only hope or bit of conviction supplemented with this thought?Only time will answer that query. But for the time being we got to fasten our seat belts for some enthralling cricket action over the next 2 months.
Why so many people jumping out from there seats saying england are well and truly en route to win ashes on aussie soil after Mike Gatting's team did the same in 1986? is it such a giveaway question? My answer will be no. Yes, england will start this series with their noses slightly in front but that doesn't guarantee them a series win. We have to have a look at the teams performed well in the land of kangaroos over the past 2 decades. We will find that teams that had done well are West Indies who had a terrific fast bowling as well as a very good batting line up, India who had the greatest batting line-up in the last decade barring the aussies themselves and South Africa having a potent fast bowlers in form of Dale Steyn & Co. If we look at the current English squad that is touring Australia,we will see that they neither have a great batting nor a heartwrenching fastmen. But still they are termed as favourites and that speaks volume about them as a team. The reason is partially their performence over the last 12-18 months and most obvoiusly Australia's decline in form. But believe me they are still regarded as a team to beat.
England will be heavily depended on their captain Andrew Strauss not only as a leader but as their most prime batsman. England's fortune will be dictated a lot on how Strauss performs as a batsman. On such a physically and mentally demanding tour his batting form may bring the best out of him as a skipper.Though his partner Alistair Cook had a torrid time over the last few months. Cook answered his critics with a hundred against South Australia in a warm-up game but that counts very little. It remains to be seen how he copes with the pressure when the series starts day after tomorrow in Brisbane. As they say no 3 is the most crucial postion in test cricket and its even more important if you are playing in Australia. Jonathon Trott will have his task cut out. One thing for sure he will be itching to take the battle ahead as he has some fond memories of the 2009 ashes in England where at Oval not only he made a hundred on debut but played a huge role in winning that test thus regaining the ashes. Kevin Petersen is easily their best batsman on ability but KP is struggling for runs over the last few months. Its been more than 15 test matches that he had a test ton to his name. If England harbouring any ambition of winning this series then KP got to be at his aggressive best. Paul Collingwood is not someone who can ring alarm bells in the opposition camp but he is always a man for crisis. He will surely want to recreate the magic that fetched him a double ton at Adelaide in the last tour here.I think England will go with Ian Bell at no 6 instead of Eoin Morgan. I would personally like to see Morgan in action as he is aggressive and being a left hander will give England the much needed mix in their batting line-up though Bell scored a marvellous 192 against Australia A on a dicey Bellerive Oval track in Hobart. Matt Prior is a decent wicketkeeper batsman though he wont give much headache to the aussies. His keeping standard improved leaps and bounds over the last couple of years. In the bowling department Anderson,Broad and young Steven Finn will share the fast bowling responsibilities. Anderson is a good swing bowler but as general notion is that he may struggle in Australian condition. He has grown in stature compared to last time he toured here. With high humidity and some rain around Brisbane, one can confidently say that red kookaburra going to swing there.If that's the case then Jimmy will pose some tough question to the rival batsmen. Finn and Broad are the kind of bowlers you want while touring Australia. They are hit the deck type of bowlers and being such a tall guy if they can hit the right length with young Broad a handy lower order batsman also who knows they could play a pivotal role in this series. Graeme Swann will be the lone spinner in the first XI. Swann's performance in last 12 months already cemented him as one of best spinners in world cricket. But he has to cope with the pressure that historically off-spinners don't do well in down under. England certainly have the side but few more questions can be asked about their jittery middle order and a very young inexperienced bowling attack in Australian conditions.
The picture in the Aussie camp is altogether different. They have lost last 3 test matches they played which is like Haley's comet as last time it happened was way back in 1988 season.Side has declined long way from the Hayden-Gilchrist-Warne-Mcgrath era. They are on a rebuilding process. Like every side Australia too struggling in this transition phase. But still they are still a pretty competitive unit. Katich and Watson are formidable opening partnership. Watson had a great time once he decided to open the batting for Australia. They have a crucial responsibility to give a good start as it will settle the nerves in the dressing room. Ponting over the past couple of years isn't the punter we know. His only hundred in recent memory came early this year against pakistan when he got 209 after Mohammad Aamer dropped a dolly when he was on nought. He had some substantial knocks in India though he failed to convert those into big ones.Australia will be eagerly hoping that Ponting's bat goes wider and wider with the series progressing. If australia has to regain the urn then punter needs to score big. Clarke had a shocking India series. With a chronic back spasm creating problem, Pup needs to find that elusive midas touch. But this is a very big series for Michael Hussey and Marcus North. As young Usman Khwaja & Callum Fergusson breathing on their neck, they need to deliver and deliver quickly. Brad Haddin's selection raised some eyebrows as Tim Paine did quite reasonably against Pakistan & India. Haddin is a fantastic keeper and also a very attacking minded batsman. He may not be Gilchrist but definitely he can change a game with his aggressive intent with the bat. Australian fast bowling is quite good on their own backyard. Young Dougie Bollinger already developed into some sort of cult figure in Australia. He had an abdominal strain on Indian tour. It has to be seen how well he recovered from that injury. Mitchell Johnson going through rough patch but he is a sort of bowler whose one spell can change the tide in your favour. His biggest quality is that he is a wicket taker. Ponting will be keeping his finger crossed for Johnson to get back among the wickets. Johnson also has an important role to play with the bat.Some crucial runs lower down the order can prove to be decisive. Hilfenhaus is a conventional swing bowler. He has done reasonably after getting the baggy green. Peter Siddle making a comeback after a long injury lay off. On his day he can grab bagful of wickets and can run havoc in the opponent batting line-up. Spin bowling is the department that is a huge worry for them. Hauritz has been dropped after he was taken into pieces by Indian batsmen last series. Xavier Doherty got his chance after a great ODI debut but if we go with his 1st class record then it is anything but impressive. Young leggie Steve Smith also in the ranks but he has to go miles before he settles as a prominent test match spinner. I wont be surprised if Australia goes with 4 seamers in the 1st test at Gabba but with the series going on to places like Adelaide, Sydney lack of quality spinner can prove to be detrimental for the aussies.
So both sides are quite evenly matched . For cricket buffs like me its a huge change as we have grown watching the english side surrender against fabulous Australian teams over the last 20 years. But this time round we have a mouth watering clash in prospect. Can England retain the ashes or will Australia earn the coveted urn? I am not a Nostradamus. So,only thing I can say that I cant wait for the series to start and lets hope that it lives upto its reputation.
