ThrAshes Series

How many of us would have imagined the below things to happen just few months back …

-- Australian Bowlers being ripped apart and getting scored at 5 per over consistently in a test match.
-- Australian Batsmen getting hit with rising deliveries all across their body frequently.
-- Catches getting dropped by Australian fielders.
-- For a change from sledging the opponents, aussies lose temper in the field and getting fined.
-- Aussie bowler gets a wicket and before the celebration ends umpire ‘no-balls’ him.
-- Out of 8 innings with 6 quality batsmen there is only one 3 figure mark by an aussie batsman.
-- Highest average by an aussie batsmen is just around 40 after 8 innings.
-- Shane Warne is the most consistent batsmen in their line up. Yes its Shane Warne.

This has what had happened with Australian team in the ongoing Ashes series.

I was fortunate enough to see all the 4 tests’ first sessions (most part).
It was cricket at its best. So feels our SACHIN watching all these matches at his home.
Every hour of this series had some interesting things happening.
Crowd glued to their seats till last ball of last day.

Steve Waugh always says most of their test matches have been won in the first session of the match.
So is the series, as they try to dominate and mostly succeeded in the first couple of hours of every series opener.

That’s the secret of their long stretching success.
They almost did that at Lords in the first test and won the match though not convincingly except for that machine bowler McGrath.

From then , its been England all the way.
Two back to back test matches going till the last ball finish one actual win and another moral win for England.

Aussies have no clue at all to contain England in any dept. only after that they can think of winning a match against them.

This series is worth all its hype much before it even started.
Find of the series will be Pieterson for England.

But England owe most of its success to that man ‘Freddie’ Flintoff.
Amazingly this guy is ready to bowl at any instant of the match irrespective of his previous spells’ length.

In 2nd and 3rd tests I literally saw him plucking the ball from Vaughan’s hand to have a go and he did succeed in getting wickets.

Final thing to highlight is Vaughan’s captaincy.
He commands respect from his team mates.

Not many would have noticed what happened after England managed a draw in the third test with just one wicket needed for a win.
Just after the last ball was bowled, he called his team in the ground and in the huddle he told ‘WELL DONE GUYS’.
We were almost there. We will continue the same aggression.
He appreciated the efforts of his frontline bowlers.

And only then they left the field.

That’s ultimate leadership,
to stand by the team when they go down by giving more than 100 %.

Ponting’s century of 140+ at trying circumstances showed how good a captain he is.
But its the only spark in the entire series so far.

Having said this all, I keep my fingers crossed and wish England wins the fifth match and the series.
But we all know how good Aussies are when under pressure.

Its always nice to see a match keenly contested between two best teams and none being our home team.
That case we can enjoy every ball being played without any bias.

Lets watch out for another cracker of a match and good ending to an exciting series.