If you are a fan of English cricket then things are certainly looking rosy at present. With Australian cricket seemingly in turmoil one could forgive a slight chuckle at the plight of the old enemy, yet don’t expect the Aussies to be anything but up for a scrap when the Ashes roll around.
England boast one of the strongest bowling units of any nation, second only to South Africa. Jimmy Anderson, one of the finest swing bowlers in the world right now, is consistently taking wickets even when conditions do not suit. Finn provides the pace and venom when sharing the new ball and it looks like the shortened run-up has aided the stump-kicking antics of the past year leaving him to focus solely on the job-in-hand. Stuart Broad looks somewhat back to his best in the most recent test against New Zealand, and not to mention the guile of Swann whose accuracy of length and variety of pace is enough to cause a headache for any batsman.
The batting side of the game is not looking too shabby either. Led by Captain Cook England’s top 3 have shown the willingness to bat long and graft hard for runs, showing the levels of concentration required to blunt the cutting edge of a fresh bowling attack steaming in with the new cherry and scoring of the odd bad ball. Admittedly it is a little early to include Compton into the proven duo of Cook and Trott, but back-to-back hundreds against New Zealand have demonstrated that Compton has the grit and determination needed to make it as this level, if facing slightly inferior bowlers on a flat track. He is no spring chicken; at the age of 29 he understands his own ability and character at the crease, and with the added confidence gained from these innings he can now kick on and consider himself at home on the international stage. With the silky stroke play of Bell at 4, and the explosive Pietersen at 5, things look pretty good once the shine has been taken off the ball to put the opponent to the sword. Young Root and Bairstow are both showing plenty of promise at 6, with arguably the final undecided place up for grabs we can look forward to the last test against New Zealand to see both demonstrate their full potential in order to nail down the spot. With swash-buckling Prior the counter-puncher in at 7, England have the ability to dig deep and turn the tide of momentum if required by making quick runs whilst providing plenty of oos and ahhs for the crowd. Even with Stuart Broad’s lack of form with the bat proving a slight concern, England’s tail still has plenty left to wag with Swann more than handy and even Finn proving a revelation with the blade in the last test.
In comparison Australia do not look in a good place. With four players being dropped from the last test against India for ‘homework-gate’ and facing a series whitewash, all is clearly not well in the Australia camp. Michael Clarke and the coaching team have taken a fair amount of flack for their strong stance, though it turns out that the homework issue was the straw that broke the camels back in a series of poor disciplinary actions shown by the players.
Before us Englishmen start sniggering at the back of the classroom as plenty have been let us remember the actions of one KP which caused one of the best players in the world to miss the World Cup contributing massively to a tournament best forgotten by fans of the three lions. However, Pietersen has now been re-integrated to the team and has been firmly put in his place, something the Aussies will be keen to replicate with the returning Watson. One could argue that the timing was no coincidence, with Watson returning to Australia for the birth of his child he would not have been available for selection anyway, so what better way to make a stand on indiscipline whilst giving him the time to reflect with his family.
Let us not forget that Australia aren't the only team that have suffered on the spin-heavy pitches in India, many teams have suffered the same fate. The English conditions and pitches will be far more suited to the Australians, with less technical deficiencies in the batting being highlighted against seam rather than spin.
Australia have taken this opportunity before the Ashes to bring about some fundamental changes of attitude in the dressing room hoping to instil some of the passion and never-say-die attitude that is synonymous with the green baggy cap. Without the abundance of talent of yester year, Australia need to replace their short-comings by mucking in with commitment and a willingness to fight as a united unit.
England do not suit the brash over-confidence of other nations, but would prefer the understated quiet determination so exemplified by the skipper. Australia have a few wounds to lick, but a wounded animal is a dangerous one, a lesson that England would do well to bear in mind.
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