COMMENT | 'For what is revered as one of the great sporting competitions, the Ashes in this country lacks one essential element: competition,' writes GregBaum
For what is revered as one of the great sporting competitions, the Ashes in this country lacks one essential element: competition.
It was a turning point. In England the next year, Australia hardened their hearts, had an unexpected but comprehensive 4-0 win, backed it up in Australia four years later, and so a dynasty was founded.In nine Antipodean Ashes series since, Australia have won 30 Tests to six. Three of England’s six – all by an innings – came in 2010-11, which was not just an outlier, but a freak in its time. The other three were in matches that in terms of the Ashes were dead rubbers.
Each new series follows a pattern. England arrive full of good intentions and intricate plans and begin to disintegrate almost from day one. In the first Test this time, they were widely held to have picked the wrong team. In this second Test, they admitted they did. Captain Joe Root admitted that their seamers bowled the wrong length. His honesty is admirable. But he’s the captain; he was out there.Setbacks compound. Inopportune injuries hit. Catches go to ground. Luck ebbs.
, a banker for Australia. This is not a great nor settled Australian team, and yet a gulf has opened up between them and England again.It can’t be cultural. Australia and England are scarcely strangers to each other as countries. Their cricketers are familiars, now more than ever. The cricket in Australia is hard; Test cricket is. The crowds, here and there, are raucous, but in these days of light beer and heavy supervision mostly have a pantomime overlay.
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