The Ashes has always managed to arrest the attention of the cricketing world. An Ashes series is celebrated with the same fervour in England or Australia as in India or South Africa. I meant in the minds of the cricket followers. Every Ashes series is looked forward to. Ofcourse, it is another matter that the interest wanes once a team, usually Australia, starts to dominate. That is what happened for 3 successive series in Australia but in England however, Australia have remained quite competent which meant that Ashes series in England is far more interesting than in Australia. Having said that, interesting Ashes shaping up for England.
England, eversince the appointment of McCullum as the coach and Ben Stokes as the captain, England cricket have transformed themselves into something unbelievable. The ultra-aggressive approach has paid rich dividends for the team with almost everyone contributing to the success. Quite a lot were unsure that the same approach will be effective in unfavourable conditions but the players showed that not only can they continue with the same approach in Asia, they can also win and win handsomely. The 3-0 sweep of Pakistan is truly unbelievable.
Start of the English season, Ashes fever will be at a feverish pitch. The England cricket followers are inspired to watch cricket only if it is Ashes. With England’s resolve, they will be waiting to see whether the same approach will help the team in a high pressure situation like the Ashes. On the otherhand, the Ashes is likely to be Smith’s final Ashes in England. He will want to make it count. The Aussies had a chance to win the Ashes outright the last time around but missed it because of a poor review. The personnel will remain the same with Boland added to the squad.
The Twitter war has already started
Michael Vaughan, the former England skipper who led a fine side to an unlikely triumph in 2005, reckon that the Ashes is going to be a belter.
Next years Ashes is going to be a belter .. England playing this new exciting brand against the best bowling attack in the world .. The Aussies are consistently the best Test team in the world but haven’t Won here since 2001 !!!!! If Stokes is Fit it’s England to win
So, which team is in the best shape to win the Ashes?
First up is England. Zak Crawley’s runs against Pakistan will keep his detractors at bay for sometime atleast. However, he is by no means out of danger of being dropped. His returns have been far too few and inconsistent in his short international career. If Australia got off to a successful start and if it coincides with Crawley’s lack of runs, he is sure to feel the heat. McCullum, who was so supportive of him last year, may not have the same gumption in an Ashes series. Pressure will increase on him and Stokes to drop Crawley. Australia usually pries on the shortcoming of an opponent and in Crawley, they must feel that they have one.
Ben Duckett was solid in Pakistan but will he be that effective against the relentless Aussies? He was touted as a very big hope of English cricket. On his very first tour, he struggled against the guile of Ashwin though that was in India. It is only understandable that he has gone back to County cricket and has developed his game and hence the recall.
Solid middle order to boot
England’s middle order with the emergence of Harry Brooks has a solid look to it. Pope, Root, Bairstow and Brooks will be a handful for the bowlers though only one of either Bairstow or Brooks is likely to start in the first test. All of them are naturally aggressive batsmen and with the added motivation of the Stokes era, they, especially Root, will want to avenge the successive losses during his tenure.
Stokes, the key allrounder and captain offers an insurance at low down the order. He is adept at playing time and playing quickly. He will have to make the bowlers earn his wicket rather than throw it away as he has done eversince taking over from Root. It doesn’t mean that he will have to give up how he wants England to play but he must understand that there is a fine different between being aggressive and being reckless. Wicket keeping will be manned by the brilliant Foakes. He is quite handy with the bat.
The English bowlers
This is where the selectors as well as the team management is likely to encounter tough questions. There are swing bowlers who are tailor-made for the conditions and there are bowlers who can scare the Aussies with their pace. Jofra Archer’s return from injury is a boon for England. He has about 6 months to get himself match fit. If he can return to his previous ferocious best, he can intimidate the best Aussie batsman in Smith. If Jofra can get Smith for low scores throughout the series, more than 50% of the battle is won.
One spinner is necessary and Leach will take the position. That leaves just 2 positions for the likes of Anderson, Wood, Stone, Potts, Robinson & Broad. The Ashes is probably won or lost in the bowlers that England choose. If they are not spot-on, Australia will punish them for their mistakes.
Wrapping up Interesting Ashes shaping up for England
England is unlikely to take a back step when it comes to continuing with their approach but if Australia can nip one quite early, things could get interesting. South Africa last year won the first test but England still continued with their approach but it was mainly because of South Africa’s inability to string successive good sessions over the course of the series. Australia will not be that forgiving. They are known to crush their opponents when they are down. If England lets it slip, their resolve will be tested to its fullest.
Next up will be from Australia’s perspective.
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