Cometh the hour

LEAD FROM FRONT Firsttime Ashes captains Steve Smith and Joe Root have to step up to the plate whenever their team needs them most

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v Ind48 vNZ vNZ vNZ vNZ How do you expect an Aussie captain to respond on the first Ashes day at home after losing the urn in England two years ago? Play the proverbial captain’s innings of course! It’s easier said than done but trust Ricky Ponting to walk the talk. On a sunny day at Brisbane, Punter signalled gloom for the Andrew Flintoff-led England by scoring 196. The hosts went on to win the Test by 277 runs before inflicting a 5-0 whitewash on the Poms for the first time in 86 years. Ponting led the scoring charts with 576 at 82.28 and won the Player of the Series award. vNZ vNZvWI v WI v WI v NZ v NZ

Was he motivated by revenge? “I have never mentioned that word once, not even to myself,” claimed Punter. But such was his single-minded intent of crushing England, through batting, fielding and captaining, that it was hard to believe him.

Ashes are won and lost by the captains’ attitude. Captaining for the first time in the Ashes, Steve Smith and Joe Root have the responsibility to make their batting count. They won’t have to look far out for inspiration.

STRAUSS’S KNOCK

After birthday boy Peter Siddle’s hattrick restricted England to 260 in the first Ashes 2010-11 Test at the Gabba, Michael Hussey’s master-class helped Australia take a 221-run first innings lead.

Alastair Cook’s double century and Jonathan Trott’s unbeaten 135 were the highlights of England’s mammoth second innings declared at 517/1. But the 110 by captain Andrew Strauss deserves a mention because had he got out early, things could have been completely different.

That Test eventually ended in a draw. But the psychological momentum secured by getting the better of Aussie bowling attack for almost two days was one of the prime reasons why England defeated Australia 3-1. Strauss’s counter-attack helped shift the momentum towards England at the right time.

CLARKE STRIKES

After opting to bat in the second Ashes 2013-14 Test in Adelaide, Australia were in a tricky situation at 174/4. Clarke, who had slammed a century in the first Test in Brisbane, made a wellcompiled 148 and his 200-run partnership with Brad Haddin guided the hosts to 570/9d.

Australia won by 218 runs and completed another whitewash after Mitchell Johnson annihilated the visitors. Had Clarke not stood up then, England could have staged a comeback after the 381-run loss in the first Test. Clarke’s ton ensured the doors were firmly shut on England.

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