Aussies have lost 3 ODIs on the trot to England side without Jonathan Trott and the English media are gung-ho about the Ashes rematch later this year. I am not sure how an ODI series win would impact Ashes result when the players on both teams change and the conditions of play change (Australia host this year Ashes).
I should say I m not sure how winning an ODI series would make England favorites for Ashes. They have not displayed anything spectacular in Tests this year to be called favorites. They have won T20 tournament and surprisingly have won 8 or 9 ODIs on the trot without Jonathan Trot, so that wont have any bearing over Tests. They have won 4 Tests against Bangladesh and there is no novelty in there. Everybody except West Indies wins against them home and away. So whats so special about England winning 4 Tests against them?
Australia are 3rd and England are 5th (or 4th) in the Test rankings. And Aussies have had a lossless summer last year thanks to the quality of teams touring last summer (WI and minnow Pakistan).
Here is an excerpt from Graham Thorpe on England’s Ashes chances:
England have a real opportunity to whitewash the tourists and continue the kind of winning mentality that should hold them in very good stead in the lead up to the Ashes. You can run through almost every department and find that England have the upper hand, which tells you a lot about the dominance the side currently have.
Strauss is leading the side from the top of the order with authority and conviction; Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan are class acts in the middle order; James Anderson and Stuart Broad look by far the most threatening pacemen; and Graeme Swann and Michael Yardy have the upper hand in the spin department.
Eoin Morgan wont be a sure starter in the Test team when Trott, Collingwood and Cook return (may be one of this 3 could fail against Pakistan and Morgan could hold his place), Yardy does not play Tests (or he is not a Test standard).
Anything England wins for a while makes its writers believe they are the best in the world. They said the same thing for football despite having club stars who failed as a team in the World Cup Football. They suffered 1-4 defeat to Germans despite all fire and flame on the disallowed Lampard goal.
Predicting an Ashes result is too early right now. England and Australia both would play 4 Tests minimum and the end of English summer and Indian summer (Australia play 2 Tests in India) would give a picture on starting XI of both teams to take field on GABA.
3 Perspectives:
one swallow does not make a summer... but having said that they are surely working up the ladder of late... what these wins are doing is making them even more confident and making them believe that they can beat the best which was missing earlier...
now they look more eager and positive against their reluctant and hold-back attitude...
Hey Chandler
Very well written...I absolutely agree with you on this.Yes,they have a good side,but if Australian pace attack which has injury problems now,shape up to be fit for the ashes in Australia,then it wouldn't be that easy for the englishmen.
Mayank Jhaveri
Freehit(http://freehit-cricketanalysis.blogspot.com/)
I can recall the time just before the 2007 ODI World Cup when Australia were said to have lost their steam and the title of favourites because they were on a 5-ODI losing streak (2 to England and 3 to New Zealand).
Well, Australia went on to have an unbeaten tournament. So I really don't believe in the tags of 'favourites' and 'underdogs'. Sure, you may want to predict your winners... you may WISH to see a certain team winning... but lets not have an Ashes where one team is a 'favourite' and the other an 'underdog'! We are not living in th 1990s, for God's sake!
Post a Comment