Ashes to Ashes
It was a widely held perception prior to the tests at Trent Bridge and Lords that England would retain the Ashes this summer and go on the win again Down Under in four or five months time. The more optimistic forecast was 10-0.
And why not? England had the obdurate Cook, the stylish Trott, the charismatic Pietersen and the smooth- stroking Bell in the top five. The skippers partner was going to be an unknown quantity and the number six position was not quite settled. No matter, English confidence was not dented by the presence of those grey areas.
The English bowling led by Anderson, currently the best fast bowler in the world in many people's book, and the old-fashioned off spinner Swann, devoid of the dreaded Doosra but compensating by generous flight and turn, was deemed sufficient for the task. Especially as they were going to be backed up by the pace of Broad, Finn and Bresnan. One could almost hear the enthusiastic chorus of the Barmy Army. Ashes to Ashes. Dust to Dust. If Jimmy doesn't get you, Swanny must. At that point, Australia's confidence had been shot to pieces. Their previous test series had ended in a meek surrender to Dhoni's Indians 0-4. The 'homework' episode brought to the fore simmering tensions within the team. Clarke and Watson, it was alleged, were not singing from the same sheet. Coach Mickey Arthur was shown the door three weeks prior to the first test. Then came that infamous Warner 'punch'. All these suggested a team in crisis.
However, though it took a while for the new coach Lehmann to turn things round, he seems to have injected determination, sell-belief and pride in the Baggy Green.
The opening joust was lost by a mere 14 runs, that too, after taking sizeable first innings lead. Hughes and Ashton Agar, a debutant left arm spinner, added a mind boggling 167 for the last wicket in the first innings. Brash Brad Haddin, in tandem with Pattinson and Siddle, almost took them through.
Lords was one of those things. It was a major blip on the radar. Having turned the corner and taken a psychologically important early lead in the series, the Englishmen were at their best. It was a very clinical, thoroughly professional performance by the home team, riding on the back of Bell's second successive hundred, Roots slow but monumental knock of 180 and a five for (nine in all) by Swann.
Two down and three to play. That was the situation the beleaguered Michael Clarke – the one worldclass performer in the batting lineup-faced when battle was rejoined at Manchester. The captain led from the front with a Majestic 187. His greatness rubbed off on Rodgers and Smith (who entered the eighties) and on Haddin and Starc who thumped unbeaten sixties.
England was under the cosh. Cook was tenacious, Pietersen scintillated and Bell was charming. The follow on was averted but not by much. The game was nicely set up and Australia, as expected, tried to put runs on the board quickly in order to get England in again on the fourth evening.
Alas for the best laid plans of nice and men! Bad light on day four and rain the next day brought England unexpected, yet welcome, succor. Wresting the Ashes back is now impossibility. But the Aussies can do the next best thing and square the series. Certainly there has been a shift in the momentum. The brashness that had been part of their game, but which seemed to have deserted them, was once more in evidence as Clarkes Aussies strutted their stuff and flaunted their new-found authority.
Clarke evoked derisive, raucous comment from English Journalists when at a pre old Trafford test meeting he opined, probably in a spirit of bravado, that all was not lost and that the Ashes were still on the line. Coming on top of the 347 run annihilation at Lords, this really was cheekiness personified. A few days later and who's laughing now!It is a case of the biter being bitten and the hunter being hunted. England's batting has developed a wobble. At the same time, the Aussie bowling operation has been meticulously planned and executed to a nicety by Harris and Siddle in particular, suddenly, the likes of Cook and Trott, are finding the stress and the strain unbearable.