Congratulations England.
Well done Aussies.
A series well decided in the decider.
Batting collapses cost Australia dear. So Pakistan now have company. They aint alone on Collapsistan. Aussies have joined them.
England were old inhabitants of that planet. They did that many times in 90s. They holded on to their nerve this Ashes. Especially in Cardiff which would rankle Aussies for long.
Indians joined Collapsistan in 90s too when they toured SA. SA were part of the Collapsistan too when they played any big ICC event. They still make their occasional trips there. India too made a recent trip there in England T20 WC.
So aussies would now undergo sea change. Change of captain may be. Ponting cant decide to be captain or not. He has lost 2 consecutive Ashes in England. England and India have been a bumpy ride for Punter. In this 2 countries he has never won a series as captain.
Let alone a series in India, he has not even won a Test as a captain in India.
So what India started late last year, England finished it off. South Africa did it too. Result they are on top.
SL are 2. Yeah yeah I know. I know.
India are 3. England remain 5 and Aussies drop to 4. Pakistan are just touch above NZ and WI. 80s.
The order should be :
SA
Ind
Aus
Eng
SL
.........
But then this is ICC. It has special romance for SL. I too.
Heads would roll. Hussey would go. Ponting as captain would go. There would be end of illusion that Watson is a Test player. Search for a decent spinner would be on in Australia. Though they dont have a big series coming up this year, but they would be eyeing a 5-0 whitewash again next Ashes.
Pakistan and West Indies would be swept apart later this year. That would mark the rebuilding process of the Australian team. Its imminent that Ponting should go. He hasnt done any worthwhile when his star players retired. He is no Border. He has now become a whinner. He couldnt even play a 156 in Oval like he did in Old Trafford 2005.
Bret Lee would be back. Johnson would go out for a while. Hughes would be back and Hussey would end up his career.
England would now aim to beat SA in SA, which they could. Last tour they did it. 2004. Pietersen rose in that tour. SA were poor in Tests those times and today they are 1 not by effort but by luck partly.
England won their first home series against serious opposition in 4 years. Ironically their last significant win was against the same team. Since then they won against BD, WI, NZ and Pak, but these teams aint serious Test teams. They lost to India, SA and drew with SL. Yeah they couldnt get past SL in their home conditions.
Test cricket got a boost with this result. The battle for top spot has opened up. I dont bother about ICC rankings. For me India and SA remain the top 2 test teams. And the battle early next year in India would be a decider who is the best. Before that India would edge past SL in India. Not to forget that the Lankan spinners never have had good times in India. And those flat track bullies too.
Freddie wont play Test cricket longer. I doubt if ever he would play any cricket any more. He is injured again. Thats not a news anymore.
Winners :
Strauss
Swann
Trott
Broad
Losers
Flintoff
Bell
Collingwood
Winners (A)
North
Hilfenhaus
Siddle
Watson
Losers
Ponting
Hussey
Clark(M)
Haddin
Mitch
One more test in the Lanka land and the ODIs take over the limelight starting with a tri-series in Lanka land and 7 ODI series in England followed by CT.
Why should the tri-series even be played. India are going to win it anyway.
Pro India whinning. Yup. If people whine for Mumbai, England and Australia, I proudly whine it for India. India India India. And I am not shameful for it. Hate me or shun me. Pro India whinning shall go on.
Well done Aussies.
A series well decided in the decider.
Batting collapses cost Australia dear. So Pakistan now have company. They aint alone on Collapsistan. Aussies have joined them.
England were old inhabitants of that planet. They did that many times in 90s. They holded on to their nerve this Ashes. Especially in Cardiff which would rankle Aussies for long.
Indians joined Collapsistan in 90s too when they toured SA. SA were part of the Collapsistan too when they played any big ICC event. They still make their occasional trips there. India too made a recent trip there in England T20 WC.
So aussies would now undergo sea change. Change of captain may be. Ponting cant decide to be captain or not. He has lost 2 consecutive Ashes in England. England and India have been a bumpy ride for Punter. In this 2 countries he has never won a series as captain.
Let alone a series in India, he has not even won a Test as a captain in India.
So what India started late last year, England finished it off. South Africa did it too. Result they are on top.
SL are 2. Yeah yeah I know. I know.
India are 3. England remain 5 and Aussies drop to 4. Pakistan are just touch above NZ and WI. 80s.
The order should be :
SA
Ind
Aus
Eng
SL
.........
But then this is ICC. It has special romance for SL. I too.
Heads would roll. Hussey would go. Ponting as captain would go. There would be end of illusion that Watson is a Test player. Search for a decent spinner would be on in Australia. Though they dont have a big series coming up this year, but they would be eyeing a 5-0 whitewash again next Ashes.
Pakistan and West Indies would be swept apart later this year. That would mark the rebuilding process of the Australian team. Its imminent that Ponting should go. He hasnt done any worthwhile when his star players retired. He is no Border. He has now become a whinner. He couldnt even play a 156 in Oval like he did in Old Trafford 2005.
Bret Lee would be back. Johnson would go out for a while. Hughes would be back and Hussey would end up his career.
England would now aim to beat SA in SA, which they could. Last tour they did it. 2004. Pietersen rose in that tour. SA were poor in Tests those times and today they are 1 not by effort but by luck partly.
England won their first home series against serious opposition in 4 years. Ironically their last significant win was against the same team. Since then they won against BD, WI, NZ and Pak, but these teams aint serious Test teams. They lost to India, SA and drew with SL. Yeah they couldnt get past SL in their home conditions.
Test cricket got a boost with this result. The battle for top spot has opened up. I dont bother about ICC rankings. For me India and SA remain the top 2 test teams. And the battle early next year in India would be a decider who is the best. Before that India would edge past SL in India. Not to forget that the Lankan spinners never have had good times in India. And those flat track bullies too.
Freddie wont play Test cricket longer. I doubt if ever he would play any cricket any more. He is injured again. Thats not a news anymore.
Winners :
Strauss
Swann
Trott
Broad
Losers
Flintoff
Bell
Collingwood
Winners (A)
North
Hilfenhaus
Siddle
Watson
Losers
Ponting
Hussey
Clark(M)
Haddin
Mitch
One more test in the Lanka land and the ODIs take over the limelight starting with a tri-series in Lanka land and 7 ODI series in England followed by CT.
Why should the tri-series even be played. India are going to win it anyway.
Pro India whinning. Yup. If people whine for Mumbai, England and Australia, I proudly whine it for India. India India India. And I am not shameful for it. Hate me or shun me. Pro India whinning shall go on.
5 Perspectives:
Sam, you're wrong on a number of accounts.
1. Ponting, FYI, did win a test in India in 2004.
2. England don't deserve, in no way, to be placed above SL as we do perform well in tests abroad as well as home
3. I have no idea where you got the idea that ICC loves SL...if there's anything, ICC loves India more! ;P
4. Hussey won't go...comeon, they've stuck with him for nearly 2 years when he hasn't scored, why should they drop him now, especially when the selectors have an excuse, saying that he scored a century in his last innings?
5. Ponting has conducted himself extremely well after the Cardiff test. TBH, I was quite surprised at how humble he was and how he was finally accepting that he doesn't have a world beating side. There's no way that they would let him go as he is still one of Australia's best batsman going around
6. Watson isn't bad, he just has to do some more work...admittedly, his bowling is what should really be called 'pie chuckers' by KP!
7. Johnson will never go...he is their future (well that's what Punter and the selectors say)
8. Hughes won't come back unless he's learnt to counter the short ball
9. England have and will always be shit in SL
10. If SL batsmen are flat track bullies, I suppose there's no reason why they can't prosper in India? ;)
BTW, I think we should get rid of the rankings! It's a whole load of hogwash and, frankly, not a single soul in this planet (except the robots who operate the rankings) know how they work!
CT, The two tests Aus won in 2004 were won under Gilchrist. Ponting was injured in the finger.
he returned in the final test to lose it in mumbai.
i bet 2 trillion dollars on this fact. go check n verify,
Ok CT, find me a series except in BD which SL has won abroad. Not a single test win but the series.
hussey should go in the longer picture. 100 in losing cause doesnt matter.
ponting could be good but then ignimony of losing back to back Ashes would be too hot to handle for him. this is like MJ losing series to BD back to back.
He lost it two times to India and he had to go. So Ponting sooner or later wud go.
England tour SL once in 5 or 6 years, so if they lose one occasional series in SL, its fine. Except this decade when they toured 2 times in 4 yrs.
And finally CT, SL batsmen have never clicked in India to WIN a test. Lets see how does Mr Murali and Mendis if still in the team perform in India later this year.
Ah, you're right, quite surprising...I thought that Punter did win a test! :(
OK, this might sound like I'm trying to cover up but SL are improving...we did start test cricket only 25 years ago and we have a much smaller talent pool than India, so what we've been achieving abroad is quite good...
England played their first 3 match series against us in 2003 and then in 2007 and promptly lost both of them! :D
In India, I feel the quickies such as Thusara, Kulasekara and Prasad would be the key rather than M&M....hope they pick Herath rather than Mendes
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