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International Cricketer
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2011
A Brief Preview of The Ashes 2013
There was a time when you could look down an Australian team sheet and point out the world?s best opener, possibly the world?s best fast bowler, the world?s best spinner, number three, keeper/batsman and even the world?s best number 11, that?s how complete the team with the baggy green were...once. The fall from those glory days has been slow and painful, first were the retirements of McGrath and Warne, then came the gradual decline and retirements of Hayden, Langer, Gilchrist, ending in the sad and tired end of Ricky Ponting, a third of the holy trinity of modern batsmen.
Now it is England who holds all the cards, possibly the world?s best opener, one of the world?s premier spinners and test crickets premier swing bowler. There is a fine middle order and a gutsy keeper/batsman. The days of hoping England do well in the test arena have been replaced by crowds turning up in droves to watch their team win. The once panicky dressing room and staff has been replaced by a thoroughly professional and practical unit, led by the pragmatic Andy Flower. It is Australia who now toil away in mediocrity and anxiety, their coach sacked with just over two weeks left till the marquee test series.
Mickey Arthur has been replaced by Darren Lehman, who now has the unenviable task of uniting what seems to be a fractured dressing room. The culture behind closed doors has been described as ?toxic, insular, selfish, undisciplined, and just plain stupid?. It seems nigh on impossible that a man appointed as coach two weeks before a major test series can changed the squad?s culture but Lehman can damn sure try and that?s why he is here, to bring a sense of calm to what has been a finicky group of players. Off field bust ups, disciplinary failures, revolts, this has been more Pakistan than Australia.
Can Lehman?s Australia be competitive against Flower?s England? Is the news of Australia?s demise exaggerated? Is this writer?s humble opinion, the Aussies have a terrific opportunity to make this one of the best Ashes in years. The team has legitimately good fast bowlers, with Starc, Pattinson, Johnson and Siddle having proved themselves at difference stages in their respective careers. There is the obvious lack of a spin option, Doherty has done his best but he isn?t world class and will be taken apart by England?s test batsmen.
The batting that Australia has on offer is weak though, with Clarke a clearly elite stand out but who else is there that exudes confidence, skill and class? Hughes has tonnes of talent but when you are still talking of a player?s talent after 24 games and 45 innings then you know there is something wrong. Watson has been up and down, hot and cold, which one turns up, no one knows, if a game Watson arrives at the crease than the English bowlers will have a handful, if the meek, wicket losing machine walks out then the Australians will be 5-1 in no time.
England on the other hand are a completely different kettle of fish, the bowlers are on top form, especially Anderson who has filled the void which Mohammad Asif left behind in 2010, that of a pace bowler who is more artist than brute. The likes of Broad, Tremlett, Bresnan, Finn will all provide able support but it is Graeme Swann who is the ace in the pack. A canny and skilled off-spinner with bags of confidence (and wickets) he can and will hurt the Australians, how will the Aussies play him? Will they try and respond with their own knockout blow or will they try and survive?
The batting hasn?t had the best build up to the Ashes but there is enough class there to make Gower smile, the elegance and poise of Captain Cook, the mercurial genius of Kevin Pietersen and the efficient accumulation of that most cumbersome of enigmas, Jonathan Trott. These three men can take the game away from the Aussies and unless the inexperienced bowling line up can pick them up early, some of the tests may end within 2 or 3 days.
My prediction, if rain permits, is of a test series which England win, possibly 5-0 but there will be sessions and moments of play where Australia will roar and compete, their instincts keeping them standing for the fight. Jonathan Trott top run getter and James Anderson top wicket taker. You read it here first.
