Australia in trouble heading into Ashes
Roar Pro
By Jason Cave, 3 Aug 2010 The Crowd is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- Ashes, Cricket, Mike Gatting, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Ricky Ponting
England’s demolition job of Pakistan in the first Test would’ve sent alarm bells ringing in the Australian team. This England side is possibly the most potent heading into an Ashes battle since the ‘Grand Slam’ tour under Mike Gatting in 1986-87.
And with James Anderson and Stuart Broad, they have finally found a pace attack that can give the Australians nightmares in Australia.
The decision by the England brains-trust to give the Englishmen practice sessions by using the Australian ball – the Kookaburra – is a step in the right direction.
Australia does have serious concerns heading into the Ashes series, especially the form of Mitchell Johnson, Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey. The England team under Andrew Strauss would’ve liked what they saw in the recent Pakistan-Australia Test series.
Then there’s the problem of scheduling.
While England will have three warm-up matches prior to the first Test in Brisbane, the Australian side will be involved in a full-scale tour of India.
By the time the Australians come back from the Indian tour, England would’ve got a fair idea abourt how to handle Australian pitches and the conditions, thanks to those three practice matches.
For Australia, it’s hardly the ideal preparation for an Ashes series, isn’t it? And the pitch conditions of a pitch in Mumbai and the one used in Brisbane for the first Test is vastly different.
The Urn could be in England’s keeping for far longer than we first thought.
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Vinay Verma said | August 3rd 2010 @ 5:12am | Report comment
Jason,Australia don’t play in Mumbai. The First test is in Mohali and the pitch there is the nearest thing to Brisbane you will find in India. It has good bounce and carry. Probably the best pitch in India. The next test in Bangalore will be lower and assist turn.
Actually it will be high intensity preparation and sure beats net practice. International cricketers should be able to adjust.Australia has been to India more frequently than any other side.
Your second last para doesn’t read right. “Isn’t it?” Shouldn’t it be “is it?”
Lolly said | August 3rd 2010 @ 6:53am | Report comment
I think it beats Shield practice as well. There are few to none decent spin bowlers in Aus and a very good one with England so facing up to decent spin bowling in India can only be a help..If Zaheer Khan plays for India, the seam attack will be stronger as well. It should be a very good series in it’s own right. It’s a real shame that there are only 2 tests.
If this was the worst preparation imaginable for a big series like the Ashes, why did they agree to it in the first place?
And James Anderson may not be the threat that you expect in Aus, though I think Broad might be.
Viscount Crouchback said | August 3rd 2010 @ 7:51am | Report comment
I wouldn’t read too much into England’s and Australia’s respective performances against Pakistan in England. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that England are dominant in swinging conditions. Let’s see how well Anderson, Broad and Finn adapt to Australian conditions. Anderson’s record away from home – averaging something like 45 compared to 27 at home – is hardly frightening for the Aussies.
Morgan’s century, however, was a big, big moment. The batting is now so strong that some people – foolishly, of course – are even suggesting that Pietersen ought to be dropped when Ian Bell returns from injury.
Squire Gordon said | August 3rd 2010 @ 7:52am | Report comment
Many a bowler has taken a trolley full of wickets in England and other parts of the world then came to Australia and been ineffectual on our rock hard pitches. In the last couple of years only Dale Steyn and Mohammad Asif have had any real success and Broad and Anderson aren’t in their class. Big Steven Finn looks a prospect but might be a bit raw at this stage. As for the batsmen, Australians score runs in Australia whatever their form beforehand, England need Strauss & Peitersen to have absolutely massive series. I say Australia 3-1 with England’s win after the urn is back in our hands.
Whiteline said | August 3rd 2010 @ 9:13am | Report comment
Jason
Maybe Adam Voges will rescue us?
A series in India is better preparatiion than no test cricket at all – Vinay is right.
Brett McKay said | August 3rd 2010 @ 9:38am | Report comment
Two Tests in India is certainly much better preparation for the Ashes than seven one-dayers in India, that’s for sure. I’ll be interested to note if the England bowlers can swing the Kooka in England…
Scott Adams said | August 3rd 2010 @ 11:52am | Report comment
England have lost badly in Australia since 86-87 with better sides than the one they’ll send this winter; the difference is this side has the capacity to be a little more ruthless when on top and a whole lot more determined when the chips are down than sides of yore. They still won’t retain the Ashes, but it could go down to the 5th test.
David said | August 3rd 2010 @ 4:04pm | Report comment
I wouldn’t say they look THAT strong. When you consider the games took place in overcast swinging conditions you would expect the english players to perform better (their bowlers). Lets see what happens when Anderson comes to Australia, he’s known to struggle and lack variation when the balls not moving. Broad will be the only bowling worry i see in the English line up. That being said the Aussie look pretty out of form and if they don’t pick up a few good performances in the Indian tour their may be some worries and restructuring needed.
Lolly said | August 3rd 2010 @ 8:28pm | Report comment
I think Trott could be real trouble over here. He doesn’t lose focus easily, is prepared to bore for Britain and I’m not sure exactly how he is going to be budged once he settles in at the crease.
That is assuming they bring him.
jameswm said | August 3rd 2010 @ 9:58pm | Report comment
Those games in England mean nothing. Pakistan run hot and cold anyway.
But the Aussie team does have issues, esp with its batting in less than batsman-friendly conditions. What happens if Punter wins the toss on a greentop at the Gabba?
Having said that, I’ve been waiting for Bollinger to stop taking wickets. He was at his best when he swung the ball back in to the right hander. In Shield cricket Langer used to be his bunny – he’d get him caught behind the wicket every time. But the swing is largely gone.
Johnson is up and down as we know and Hauritz is a stopper. And who’ll be the 3rd quick? Hilfy, Sids or Harris?
Fisher Price said | August 4th 2010 @ 12:10pm | Report comment
I think the batting line-up has issues in ANY conditions – witness the collapses against Pakistand and West Indies last summer.
Will said | August 4th 2010 @ 2:10pm | Report comment
For a start, stop obsessing with the Ashes. The series is still 100+ days away. Each side in Australia and England still has a lot of cricket to play before then. Calm down, enjoy the pointy end of the football season, and then when the cricket season offically starts on October 1, then we can start to seriously ponder what will happen in the Ashes.
At this point, what has happened in England with regards to form really has little bearing on what will happen in the Ashes in Australia. The conditions between the two countries are so different that it really is pointless to take what happens in England as some sort of pointer to what will happen in Australia. When Australia beat SA in March 2009 everyone thought we were on target for the Ashes in England. England had just been routed for 51 in the West Indies. Things can turn quickly in cricket.
The pitches, the climatic conditions, the ball, the stadiums and the opponent will be different come November/December/Janurary.
For what it’s worth, on the basis of what I have seen of England over the last 24 months, especially when playing away from home, I think the England team lacks the class to win a series in Australia. However, England definately have the capability of getting away with a drawn series so they need to be respected.
England’s bowling is slightly over-rated IMO.
Australia has a great chance at beating India in India in a 1 and a half months time and that should be the first point of call at the moment rather than the ashes.
Australia will be fine come the Ashes.
RBH said | August 5th 2010 @ 3:13am | Report comment
“Australia has a great chance at beating India in India in a 1 and a half months time and that should be the first point of call at the moment rather than the ashes.”
Hi Will, what makes you think that Australia has a great chance of beating India in India? Presumably you are completely ignoring their current form and the cricket they played during their tour of England?
I reckon that there are several teams which are all around the same level atm (Eng, Ind, Aus, SA, Sri Lanka) and I dont see that any team has a huge advantage over any of the others in any particular country / conditions beyond the obvious home advantage.
The Ashes could go either way and to say that “australia will be fine come the Ashes” is nothing more than hopeful speculation, not that theres anything wrong with that, but by dismissing England with the same breath you risk getting egg on your face as happened with many of your fellow Aussies in 2009.
Scott Adams said | August 5th 2010 @ 10:45am | Report comment
I think Will meant o type ‘the weather in Australia will be fine come the Ashes’, so they won’t have to worry about that pesky swing bowling.