Sports : life magnified

First they lose to a county side. Then Bangladesh thrash them in a one day game. Then they lose in a miserable fashion in a twenty20 match to England. Then McGrath keeps getting injured in the wrong moments to miss 2 of the 4 played tests of the Ashes.

And now, Essex has thrashed 500 in a day.

It could not have gotten any worse for the Aussies. Christmas has come early for England.

It all boils down to the Oval where Australia can still manage to save the summer by winning the match. A weird English summer of Ashes party comes to an end with the September 8th-12th final Ashes test.

The sporting world is full of anticipation.

Ahead of the historic Ashes test which marks the last test in which Benaud will commentate from England, the legendary leg spinner and comemntator spoke to cricinfo.

Some Benaud talk:

On the historic relevance of the series

Now, it’s my view - and people may disagree with it - but I think this series shades the 1981 tour. And that’s saying something, because a long time has passed since then. I’ve always held the view that `81 was the best but now I think that this series has just gone ahead of it in my mind.

Who will win?

Anyone even half-thinking of making a prediction would be out of his mind, when you take into account what happened at Edgbaston, Old Trafford and Trent Bridge.

And finally, on the future of Australian cricket

Warne has been talking about going on till 2007, while McGrath - as we’ve already seen this summer - bowls quite magnificently when he’s fit. There will be changes, but one thing you can be sure of, there won’t be any panic.

The big question is who should England play if Simon Jones does not recover for the 5th test. Does England include Chris Tremlett, inexperienced yet promising? He is the logical next in succession in the squad. But a debut in the moest crucial test for England is years will be a huge gamble.

Collingwood? I dont think so as bowlers win test matches and going for him is not an option from any angle.

What about bringing back some old war horses? Caddick is injured. He is not an option either.

So I ask the question. Not why Darren Gough but why not Darren Gough. Yes he has retired from test cricket but I dont think he will refuse a request for a come back for the crucial test.

Gough has been England’s best strike bowler since Bob Willis and Ian Botham writes cricinfo. And its not that Gough is now old and thus cannot match up to international standard. He is still active as a one day international and despite recent ordinary performances in the tri series involving Australia and Bangladesh and the Natwest Challenge, has shown he still has it in him.

Certainly a better option than raw Tremlett. Gough’s performance in the one day series in South Africa is a point in case:

England in South Africa, 2004/05 [Series]
SA 6 58.1 241 11 3/52 2/14 21.90 4.14 31.7 0 0

One day and test cricket are different ball games but that certainly indicates Gough has not lost it all yet.

First things first. Congrats to England on the victory. Well played and they have showed without a shadow of a doubt what a quality side they are.

Second thing.

The series is not over. Whether England claim back the Ashes or not, no one will deny what a quality side they are. However, to gain appreciation as the best side in the world, a distinct possibility England face, the road is still a long one.

Firstly they have to win back the Ashes. A draw series will mean they would have to wait till the next Ashes in Australia to hope to get the title of the best side in the world. If they do get back the Ashes, they then have to have draws/victories in India and Pakistan. After that there is a fair possibility they will be called the best side in the world.

Exciting times ahead for world cricket.

When he have the facility to conclusively state out or not out, we should use it.

Hawk eye and other inconclusive technologies should not be used but if the fans and people sitting in the media boxes and dressing rooms can see a decision being made is clearly wrong on tv (like inside edge given out lbw), it brings the game to unnecessary disrepute.

The day saw some brilliant cricket. But we remember the error decisions most. It would not have happened 40 years ago to this extent as the cameras would not have been that conclusive and the media was not as strong and communication not as fast.

First McGrath is injured. He feels there are some voodoo charms behind the most imperfect of timings for his injuries. Then England bat like champions on a flat pitch after being 5 down courtesy of superb batting by Flintoff and Jones and captaincy lacking in innovation by Ponting - giving the English easy runs.

The pitch is flat. So you would expect the Aussies to target a score of atleast 400 if not go for a 600. They are 5 down at the end of the day. The batting form is woeful and the English bowling is unrelenting.

Maybe the English tabloids should apologise to the fans for their over reaction on their home team after the first test. Maybe the Aussie tabloids should learn from this and not create their own over reactions. Bleak chances of either of those happening.

The weather forecast says bleak chances of rain. Meanwhile in another cricket match, India and New Zealand play one of the strangest matches in one day cricket history. First the kiwis collapse but manage a total of around 220. Then India collapse, stage a recovery with 8 wicket down, only to lose the 9th and 10th before some thing dramatic could happen.

Cricket is a funny game.

With McGrath out of the 4th test, Australia decided to go with 4 regular bowlers which meant Ponting had to share the burden of the attack. That England have not amassed a huge total and lost 4 wickets is the good luck of Australia, helped by the rain no doubt.

I do not see England losing this match without doing some really stupid stuff.

Its a tough few days in the office for Australia.

The more I think of it, the more I feel Australia should play 5 bowlers in the 4th test. Bowling wins test matches and to get 20 wickets a line up of McGrath, Gillespie(before he went out of form), Lee/Kasporwicz and Warne looks strong.

But a line up of a dicey McGrath, Lee, Warne and Tait does not.

Should Australia go with MacGill despite the curator saying it wont support the spinners or Kasporwicz as a 5th bowler? If the Aussies feel the pitch has some thing for the spinners, I would have chosen MacGill as the 5th bowler.

I know the long tail becomes a problem. But equally big if not bigger is the problem of a high probability that Australia will not be able to take twenty wickets with an attack of McGrath (not fully fit), Tait (untested), Warne and Lee (unpredictable).

Really underlines the problem Australia is facing.

highly unlikely the Aussies will go with 5 bowlers though.

The hype surrounding the Ashes has been proven to be real. With 3 tests gone and the score tied at 1-1, the 4th test is one of the most awaited test matches. I certainly cannot remember a match for which I have had more anticipation in my 14 years of cricket watching.

Champion teams have had their eras in test history. When Australia beat the West Indies in West Indies in 1995, they started their era as test champions ending a 20 year reign of the West Indies. I still do not fathom the current English team will be able to win the Ashes. But the possibility is very real. It is this possibility which elevates the 4th test of the current Ashes series to another level.

Can England win the 4th test? Or will Australia bounce back stronger than before? I am of the belief the second possibility will occur. But cricket is an unpredictable game.

England will not be proclaimed world champions isntantly. But if they beat Australia in England and then go on to show mettle in their winter tours of Pakistan and India, there will be many who will believe England is the best team in the world.

If England cannot manage to win or draw the Ashes, such thoughts of England replacing Aussies as world champs will be put to the trash can. This is why the match is eagerly anticipated. It has much more at stake than the outcome of a single match.

Between work 10 AM to 8 PM the sport action I have been able to catch up has been the excellent Ashes contest and the football.

The Ashes have truly surprised me. I did not give the English a chance to win even a test even though I was sure they would give a good fight. I have never seen a close Ashes contest and feel luck I am able to catch the best Ashes contest since 1989.

I managed to catch three Premiership games over the weekend. Liverpool and Gerrard could not score but I liked the well fought out match nevertless. Arsenal vs Newcastle was scratchy but the backup strength of Arsenal looks good. Chelsea vs Wigan was a classic and a heartbreak when Crespo scored.

Too bad the net connection in my room has been non existant for the past few days resulting in a dormancy in posts in the blog.

Jason Gillespie has been included in the tour match ahead of the second Ashes test. My gut feeling is Gillespie will cause a huge impact in Ashes 2005 despite his current poor form and will strike hard in the second test. Gillespie is too good to go through such a lean phase for so long.

There is panic in the English camp. Some people are suggesting bringing in Collingwood for Giles. Others want Bell out and Collingwood in. My advice: This is the best side England has got, most of which has aided England become the second best team in the world. Keep the faith and dont chop and change. It would only make the side worse. England may still not manage to win any test with the current side but what can they do? The Aussies are so much better than them!

Regarding the Aussies, I would say Gillespie should be retained. He is valuable, a potent strike bowler. his recent form has not been good but it is only a matter of time before he more than makes up for the lack of form. Please do not bring stock bowler Kasporwicz and change the winning XI.

Watching Lance Armstrong and the Australian cricket team one win his record 7th Tour de France, the other demolish England yet another time, you have to wonder what makes champions what they are.

The England cricket team is good. They will give a fight in the Ashes but it will be a surprise if they can manage to win even one test match. One of the commentators said he did not think the feat achieved by Armstrong today will be emulated in his life time at least. That helps us understand Armstrong’s feat just a bit. The true magnitude, one hopes, can be fathomed in due course.

I have read Armstrong’s highly inspirational autubiography It’s not about the bike. I think I may have to read it and other books on Armstrong in due course.

Truly great.

Lesson: You do not announce you are going to call it quits before a series. It could shut the doors closer than you think.

England’s best batsman since Graham Thorpe has had probably the worst exit. It does not damage any of Thorpe’s reputation but it is not the way he would have liked to have ended it. I gave kudos to the English selectors for selecting Pieterson after Thorpe’s declaration to call it quits at the end of the English summer and wrote then:

It may not help in winning the Ashes but it is the perfect attitude. Choose a youngster raring to go rather than a soldier with history of nothing from past Ashes spoils, playing a last battle, having already announced his retirement. I never understand the concept of announcing a retirement before a series or test match or a season or a tournament. It smacks of irresponsibility and shifts, if some times only partly, the attention from the actual battle at hand to a mere soldier. Don’t show a desire to quit before a major battle. There are other players raring to go with more rush in the blood.

Pieterson has grabbed his chance but Atherton, who always gives a logical insight gets it spot on:

If Thorpe wasn’t going to play against Australia he shouldn’t have been playing against Bangladesh. If Ian Bell was to be pencilled in for the Ashes he would have been much further down the road to being a complete, battle-hardened cricketer had he, and not Robert Key, toured South Africa.

Even though Graveney now states that there was no disputing the fact that Pieterson would be playing the first test and not Thorpe now, and calls it more of a media debate, I am very sceptical if the selection was as simple. Thorpe quits saying he was not given any signs by the selectors and Graveney maintains the selectors had not ruled out Thorpe for the future.

What is done is done and the contemplative Thorpe analyses the situation currently far better than he analysed situations a few weeks back:

To be honest, I myself thought that going back to me after having left me out of the first Test would be a backward step. Far better to remove the uncertainty.

The uncertainty has indeed been removed.

On a different note, internet connection comes back to my room which means more consistent blogging from yours truly.

Ian Botham: “I have not seen a more exciting day 1 of the Ashes series than this.”

Sums up the day.

When Ponting chose to bat on what looked like a good batting pitch as far as every one was concerned, every one was certain a score of 350-400 would be par. The English pace bowling quartet had other ideas though. What was most noticeable was the far too man shots Australian batsmen played early on. Yes, Australia bat aggressively and yes, that’s the way they have managed to get so many victories. But even by their standards, the shots played were more than necessary. One would imagine there would be some maturity to play in during the first session of a test match.

Hoggard took Hayden off a beauty and Harmison bowled accurately, on the good length, supported by Flintoff (his bowling impresses you more every time you watch him) and Jones. Despite some late flutter by Warne, Harmison had ensured it was advatage England with Australia wrapped up for 190.

It must be traumatic to be an English fan. McGrath – the cold assassin, the demolition man, the man who has taken wickets at less than 12 a piece at Lord’s, the man who has dismissed 33 English test batsmen before this test, added some more chapters to his legendary story. After 16.1 overs into the England inning and the score at 21/5, it was Australian supporters who were rejoicing. All 5 wickets to McGrath. The age of McGrath? 35. So much for talks that he is past his best!

Pieterson and Jones had a small partnership but then Lee managed to take 2 to cap a memorable come back. He supported McGrath very well. Gillespie, who I reckon will bowl well in the series, didn’t bowl badly but didn’t bowl exceptionally either. The verdict is still out on him. I thought Warne was brought in a few overs too late. Should have been brought in half an early despite the ball being fairly new.

And yes regarding the pitch. It had a lot more variable bounce in the England inning. Alarming for a day 1 pitch. Nothing should be taken away from Harmison and McGrath who both bowled very well. Thoughts of the amazing Kandy test match where Australia battled Sri Lanka not so long ago come fleeting back during this amazing match. The game hinges more on which team manages to score more runs in the second inning. Australia will manage to have a lead of at least 50 runs now keeping aside some inspired batting with the tail by Pieterson. That will be a huge lead considering the low scoring match. But who is to say Australia cant score a 400 in their second inning. A lot of time is left in this match as there was in Kandy.

It is advantage Australia any way the match is looked at.

Okay the Ashes are well and truly underway. There have been bruises, runs, a couple of wickets and blood has also been drawn. Here are some wild predictions. The list was made up in a cricket forum I visit.

Team I’ll be supporting:Australia
Team who I think will take the Ashes home:Australia
Series score:3-0
Top batsmn from either side (most runs):Damien Martyn
Top bowler (most wickets):Jason Gillespie
Top English batsman:Vaughan
Top Australian batsman: Damien Martyn
Top English bowler:Matthew Hoggard
Top Australian bowler:Gillespie
Surprise package for England:Vaughan
Surprise package for Australia:Gillespie
Man of the Series:Gillespie

And…
Biggest Disappointment for England:Strauss
Biggest Disappointment for Australia:Langer
Winner at Lords:Australia
Man of the Match at Lords:Gillespie

Whatever happens in the drama which ensues at Lord in less than a week’s time, one thing is certain – England have already made a statement which smacks of confidence, the positive and brave attitude it has shown in the past one and half years. There is no Butcher being out with injury, Thorpe – the backbone of the English batting line up in the latter part of the 90s has been omitted and the English test side has younger look than at any point in the past 15 years.

I spoke on why Thorpe and not Pieterson should be chosen a few days back.

Its the first test and I put that argument again to play Thorpe despite a possible good showing by untested Pieterson in the remaining two one dayers because of it being the first test and risks in selection not the best thing to do at this point of time.

The selectors have shown faith in Pieterson for the beginning of such a crucial Ashes opening test that it totally surprised me. But it was a pleasant surprise. Whether Pieterson fails on succeeds now in the first test, the English team have made the first real statement of the Ashes. The one day games were just mouth candy. The English team have said – we are ready to make things happen rather than wait and merely hope that it happens. We are not going for the safe play. We are gritty, we are raring to go and we are willing to growl and make move. In other words, we just don’t hope to win the Ashes if Australia show some lack of form or if we show some miracle of brilliance. We are coming at you and will do all things to achieve the goal of winning the Ashes.

It may not help in winning the Ashes but it is the perfect attitude. Choose a youngster raring to go rather than a soldier with history of nothing from past Ashes spoils, playing a last battle, having already announced his retirement. I never understand the concept of announcing a retirement before a series or test match or a season or a tournament. It smacks of irresponsibility and shifts, if some times only partly, the attention from the actual battle at hand to a mere soldier. Don’t show a desire to quit before a major battle. There are other players raring to go with more rush in the blood.

In a similar irresponsible act by Steve Waugh before the series against India, the Australian selectors did not show the steel to blood Clarke immediately. It shifted attention of Australia in the series and remember how Clarke rose to the occasion in India when given the opportunity. Going back some time, Remember how Gilchrist rose to the ocassion when Healy was looking for a ‘last test’. Pieterson would try to make the most of the chance he has got. Pieterson is delighted at being selected. It’s a big thing for him. Thorpe is disappointed at not getting selected. He was expecting it. That for me undermines the correctness of the decision and shows how much which player was raring to go.

Should England go back to Thorpe if Pieterson fails in the middle of the Ashes. Or bring back Butcher when he comes out of injury? Not really. Have faith in the young, the new. Bring Key or blood Joyce.

The first blood has been drawn by England and the Ashes and the small battles of the Ashes have now begun in all earnest. What was happening the last 2 months was drama with no substance and no one, not even the media writing it taking it that seriously.