ASHES – well poised or as good as over?
After 2 matches have been completed in the ongoing Ashes series, it is as good as any a time to ask ourselves the question – is the Ashes well poised or is it as good as over? Results in both the tests mean that the teams are levelled at 1-1, but a 5-match series is known to have its own perks while providing results! So, folks hold on to your seat-belts as this ride is about to get topsy-turvy!
Let’s get straight to the point. England were thrashed. Alastair Cook got cooked; Lyth lost his might; Ballance lost his balance; the Bell was rung hard; Butler was indeed the Butler; Broad was narrowed; the Wood was chopped. Least to say, Root’s roots stood firm, Stokes (he can be spared), Anderson was, well, Anderson and Ali was phenomenal in what he did. If the Englishmen are to get their train back on the track, they need to make some serious performance-based changes. First thing, the top order needs to be addressed; Cook needs to come good and lead from the front, for it’s the leader who shows the way for his troops. In the cricketing sense, the openers need to score some heavy runs, especially if the middle order is not at its best.
Moving on, the middle order, which comprises of Bell, Root, Butler and probably the replacement of Gary Ballance, has to come to its own. They need to isolate themselves form the openers and need to play their own natural game. One more thing that doesn’t make sense to me is the batting position of Moeen Ali. He is not being utilised to his full potential and what is more harmful is that the English know it. Now, living in denial is one way to go about it but, personally speaking, his position in the team as a player, as a batsman needs to be seriously reconsidered.
It’s total hypocrisy in saying that pitches are being made flat which doesn’t assist the seamers. Flat pitches do assist the batsmen who, in the actual sense, are the ones failing miserably. It’s like Steven Smith and Chris Rogers are playing on a different pitch than the English batsmen. In toto, the Englishmen need to integrate themselves to produce results in their favour.
Coming to the Australians, the Baggy Greens if you will. To say the least, they have had a roller-coaster ride so far. One thing that clicked in their favour is that Steven Smith returned to being Steven Smith earlier than later. With everything at stake in a high profile series like this, you wouldn’t want your best batsmen of the recent times to loose form and in the process loose confidence and the ability to score runs at will. They go into the 3rd test as the favourites.
Having watched Michael Clarke over the years as the captain, I think he would not want to make any changes to this winning 11. However, the form of Mitchell Starc is a concern. Yes, I say ‘concern’ because, even though he has been among the wickets, he has not been able to get wickets up front, that is, getting batsmen from the top order out. Yes, someone has to take the wickets of the tail enders as well but, the issue is that such a performance can translate into other formats as well. In the limited overs, Mitchell Starc is and has been the No. 1 bowler for Australia and in the world for quite a time now. The Australians wouldn’t want to loose that.
A tree grows silently, not disturbing those around itself and never seeking any attention. One name that pops into the mind is Nathan Lyon. He has been Australia’s go-to bowler in any situation, in any match, against any country, on any ground and in any part of the world. Since the departure of the great Shane Warne, Australia never found the perfect replacement. Truthfully saying, they never will but, Nathan Lyon has been doing a great job for quite some time now. He has wickets against his name when others failed to do so and to my liking, he has been one of the best (if not the best) Test spinners around.
Australia start as favourites to win the match, and in my personal opinion the tour as well. But, mind you, the English can and have the ability to bounce back for, IT’S ONLY IN THE TIMES OF DESPAIR THAT CHAMPIONS RISE.
