The Ashes England perspective
Down 0-2 and eventually squaring the series 2-2 was an extraordinary achievement. I expected England to win atleast one Test. Afterall, they were playing at home under familiar conditions but never did I expect them to win 2. If not for rain at Old Trafford, they could have walked away with The Ashes itself. The turnaround was significant and dramatic. Now to imagine that if only Stokes hadn’t declared at Headingley or if only Bairstow had held onto his chances, perhaps, it will be England who would have had the last laugh.
Did the Bairstow incident invigorated England?
YouTube is now filled with the Bairstow incident. The replay of the said incident is available at the click of a mouse. Just a casual glance will reveal the actual play. Bairstow ducks into a bouncer from Green and without any hesitation, walks off. At this point, if one were to look at Alex Carey, it can be clearly seen that he caught the ball and threw it in one swift motion. There wasn’t even the slightest pause. It all happened in one seamless motion. This essentially means that the ball wasn’t dead and was very much in play. This wasn’t different from stumping. Even when a batsman is stumped, he wasn’t attempting to run. He merely tries to get back into the crease. Ofcourse, Bairstow forgot that there was one.
It was Bairstow’s stupidity that led to his downfall. He has got no one to blame except himself. He did not even return and tap the bat inside the popping crease to signal that he understood that the ball was dead but kept walking without imagining the consequences. Australians were well within their rights to take the opportunity which they did.
Critics of the Australian alleged lack of sportsmanship must understand that they are in England to win The Ashes and not to make friends. England will do well at introspecting and looking at their performance rather than blaming external factors for their subjugation so far. The ill-timed declaration, misfiring batsmen, seamers of the same wavelength and above all, a wicket-keeper who cannot catch the ball.
Some of the comments
Geoffrey Boycott, the much respected former English batsman and commentator, has called for a public apology from the Australians.
“Australia need to have a think about what they did and make a fulsome public apology. That way it will redress the situation and everyone can then move on.”
Now, this is a bit farfetched. The Australians have not committed a crime to ask for an apology. What they did was well within the laws of the game. Boycott a respected commentator who is quite blunt when he speaks, must have squarely blamed Bairstow for his moment of madness. Instead, he called for Australia to apologise. It is not correct Mr. Boycott.
“SPIRIT OF CRICKET REDUCED TO ASHES,” the headline splashed across The Daily Express read
Daily Star’s headline: “SHAMELESS STUMPING STORM. SAME OLD AUSSIES”.
Ben Stokes, “If the shoe was on the other foot I would have put more pressure on the umpires and asked whether they had called over and had a deep think about the whole spirit of the game and would I want to do something like that. For Australia, it was the match-winning moment. Would I want to win a game in that manner? The answer for me is no.”
This incident though Bairstow’s fault, seems to have revived England. It was revealed that despite the end of the series and the animosity, England did not participate in the traditional drinking session at the end of the series. It remained fresh or perhaps it remained fresh for England by design that they needed inspiration from somewhere and this incident provided that.
Bazball at Old Trafford
It was breathtaking. Especially, Zak Crawley who switched into the 5th gear and never took his foot off the accelerator. He is someone who has got all the shots in the book and is not afraid to unleash them. Perhaps, his temperament is his biggest obstacle. From a much-maligned cricketer to having finished the series as the highest scorer for England, Crawley has secured his place for the near future. Crawley and Bairstow are the lynchpin for Bazball. The epitomise the spirit of Bazball. While they are at the wicket, there isn’t any dull moment. Both of them are always on the lookout for runs. Not necessarily through boundaries but by constantly rotating the strike and keeping the scorecard moving. If Crawley can become consistent, England will be thrilled while the opponents will sweat their pants.
Ben Stokes knee
Stokes is the fulcrum of the side. So much revolves around him. He almost repeated the Headingley heroics at Edgbaston. The assault was incredible to watch. He will be disappointed not because England lost that game but because the batsmen, though they are tailenders, who can bat, simply did not believe that they can win and threw their wickets away. This was in complete contrast to how Cummins and Lyon batted at Headingley.
Stokes’s knee is a constant source of irritation for him. He may not be around for too long. Probably another couple of years. I guess he will wait for one glory in Australia in 2025 and will call it a day. The immediate future for England selectors is to somehow convince Stokes to play in the ODI World Cup. He reserves his best for such events.
The competing teams for the WTC 2025 Finals are already quite clear. England with their brand of cricket will certainly reach the finals. The identity of their opponent may not be shrouded in mystery. Australia, specifically, if Smith & Lyon does not retire and they find a good opener to replace Warner, will be in the finals to defend. I do not see any major change in the personnel in a couple of years time.
Australia is not the great side of the Steve Waugh, Ponting era but they are proving to be resilient under Cummins. Series win in Pakistan, drawn series in Sri Lanka, WTC winner and now a shared Ashes. Things are alright for them.