The ‘Invincible’ tag was a part of the Australian team till the start of the T20 World cup in England but it was tainting. The exit from the first round of the tournament was probably the last nail in the coffin for the world conquerors. They lack the ruthlessness and professionalism, which had put them at the helm of cricket for a decade and the likes of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne in the bowling and Mathew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist in batting. An encore of 2006 Ashes would be hard; nevertheless they are a strong side who has the potency to defend the ashes urn successfully.
Bunch of rookies
Compared to the squad of 2006, the present Australian team is infused with lot of young talents. The farewell of the greats like McGrath, Warne, Hayden and Gilchrist was instrumental behind this. Phil Hughes was the biggest beneficiary of this transition as he was lucky to get the baggy green at the age of 20, which we can’t see very often in the Australian cricket. Hughes embarked on his test career with a glittering performance against the South African’s, which cemented his place in the Ashes Squad. It is too early to make judgment on his talent and temperament but still he is a future prospect. The next in the list is Marcus North. He has also shown a glimpse of talent against South Africa in the test series with his all-round abilities. He can be a good replacement for Andrew Symonds, who lost his place in the team due to lack of focus on cricket. North needs to put in some real performances in the current ashes to prove the selectors that they aren’t wrong. Andrew McDonald, Ben Hilfenhaus, Graham Manou and Peter Siddle are the other blokes who are waiting to make an impact the Ashes.
Lonely Johnson
It would be a dream come true for Mitchell Johnson as he spearheads the Australian pace attack, where Brett Lee struggling to get back in to his rhythm and Shane Watson nursing a thigh injury. If fit, then Brett Lee would certainly make it to the final XI however, Ricky Ponting wouldn’t be that confident after his lackluster opening spell in the warm up match against Sussex. Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus and Stuart Clark will compete for the third seamer’s position and Nathan Hauritz will come in to the reckoning, if there is something for the slow bowlers. Shortly, Mitchell Johnson will have to take the responsibility of making early inroads in to England’s top order.
Hauritz ≠Warne
Ricky Ponting is aware of the fact that they lack a spinner of Warne’s quality; however it would be harsh to compare Hauritz to Warne. The simple reason is that Shane Warne is arguably the best spinner cricket has ever produced and Hauritz is an average leg spinner, who doesn’t have the sorcerous abilities of Shane Warne. If Ponting uses him as a leg spinner rather than as a replacement for Warne, then he won’t be disappointed.
Apart from all the aforesaid factors, Ricky Ponting’s form as a captain and batsman will play an important role in this Ashes. He has got more responsibly alongside Michael Clark and Michael Hussey to put a good score for his inexperienced bowlers to defend. His captaincy is definitely at stake after the T20 World Cup debacle and if he couldn’t successfully defend the urn then this ashes would sing the farewell song of Ricky’s captaincy.
Tags: Australia, England, Hauritz, Ricky Ponting, The Ashes
