England shock India

Shock? No, not really; it’s been building up since day one. The real shock was Dravid’s spot of charity in putting us in to bat.

Have you SEEN Udal’s figures?

So glad my boss is out of the office today – was in gut-churning tension with every wicket. 4 for 14. Oh my goodness! This is damn close to the Ashes feeling. As luck would have it, the next office have – or better said – had a bottle of bubbly nicely chilled.

Champagne, choccy bics and ELO playing “Mr Blue Sky” – we won, hoooray!

Great performance. Freddy certainly has managed what everyone said he wouldn’t. He’s won a test with half a team missing and still kept his bowling and batting up! Good lad!
It’s so exciting to see there is a depth to English Cricket. It’s got to be hard on Vaughan particularly to see his team win without him in India. I’m not sure our first XI would have done so well. I think in some ways the pressure was off and they could go out an play. Their were plenty of excuses if things went pearshaped. It’s very exciting to see a series draw after a bit of a white wash in Pakistan. I just wonder what might have been had England played more positively in the first test and got the win there!

In the wider scheme of things, it puts the Aussies’ victories over the winter into perspective I think. Despite the destruction of the Windies and now the Proteas (again), I actually think Australian cricket has gone backwards. Am I right in saying that NONE of the side that won in Cape Town were under 30? And Stuart Clark making his debut at 30 years old? Ok, we have Udal, but spinners go on a lot longer than the quicks. The Aussies are back to their Ashes side already – old wounds will be opened up in Brisbane in November, and this time it won’t be the poor old Pommies who suffer!

Meanwhile, England have been through two tough tours and proved that they have strength in depth, and more importantly, good hungry young players who can step in and perform well. The last 5 debutant batsman have all made at least 50 in their first innings unless I’m mistaken. I am very hopeful about England’s future, and even if we don’t retain the Ashes this winter, a sea-change is definitely happening in world cricket. Australia are trying to defy the tide.

i concur with Matt baring injury to Flintoff England will retain the Ashes in Australia. Australia have fiddled aroung the edges with team selection, but they are at least one quick short and the time invested in turning Symonds into a test all-rounder will prove ultimately to be folly.

Sprycorpse – yes, they nearly choked at Edgbaston & Trent Bridge: but in the end they didn’t, which banished all sorts of ghosts from the past. At Old Trafford Australia were only saved by the rain, and at the Oval England probably would have won as well had it not been for the weather. I presume you saw the series? At Lords McGrath won the game for Australia after England tore through their batting line-up, and I very much doubt if he’ll be playing next winter. Thereafter England dominated the series, and the scoreline doesn’t really reflect this. Warne was virtually carrying the rest of the side by the end. So no more Ozzie whinging about bad luck. Pakistan was a real mare, India a great achievement with a half-strength side. Need I remind you that Aus lost 2-1 in India in both 98 and 2001, when the side was at its peak, and it was only nine years after that seminal series in ‘95 against the Windies (which crowned Aus as the World’s No.1 team) that they won their first series in India for 36 years? It’s tough there you know. And I reckon it will be the current side’s last hurrah. All your debutants are too old to be a long term prospect, Symonds and Watson aren’t even a poor substitute for Flintoff – they’re not in the same league. The Punter is a class act with the bat but a rotten captain. Hussey is also tremendously good (and should have played last summer IMHO) Martyn will probably come good again, but as soon as Hayden sees Hoggard again those rabbit’s ears will come poking out of the helmet. The less said about the attack the better: Warne and MacGill are the only top-class bowlers you’ve got left, unless McGrath returns. Tait will be good in a few years but not in time for this winter. Bracken lacks the penetration to be a good Test bowler (although he’s very canny in ODIs). I’ll reserve judgment on Clark until he’s played a few more games, but I think any notion he could be a like-for-like replacement for McGrath is delusional. Confident? Yes we are. And not without reason.

Sorry, it was a bit a of a rant. But references to a ‘handful of runs’ are perilously close to claiming the whole thing was a fluke, and that normal service will be resumed Down Under next time. That may be true (should be a cracker of a series as you say) but I think England have the stronger side now. Mind you, if Buchanan and Ponting underestimate us again that’s all to the good. How about some 5-0 predictions to really get things simmering?

Alex makes a good point about it being 9 years from the Aussies becoming the world’s number 1 team before they won in India. It meant far far more to that team than winning the Ashes for the umpteenth time.

I just get the impression that the Aussie team and some sections of the Aussie media are in denial about last summer because they have had such huge success since. However, as was always pointed out to England, they haven’t played anyone any good recently.

It will be a tough one in Australia – the toughest tour ever probably – but this England side is full of fight and has strength in depth. England always win at least one Test, even with their worst side, and needing only a drawn series makes it that bit easier to retain the Ashes. A 5 day tropical storm in Brisbane wouldn’t go amiss for starters

OK so England won a test!!

Now wheres our “Australia V South Africa 2nd Test” post Will? Well???? NOT HAPPY!

Ricky Ponting just posted his 34th test century! SA struck early getting mat hayden on the 2nd ball of the morning. Pontinf was dropped on seven but it has been relitivly smooth sailing from there!

Well i got a GRAND FINAL tommorow! For the mens 2nd grade team! Out 1st graders lost there semi final so they are all coming to drink heaps and watch us 2nd graders! So i should probly get some sleep! Big two days ahead of me! Probly three or four big days if we win!

Good points from japaddy. If England lose Flintoff they could really struggle.

Elliot: good luck with getting an SA v Oz post started – oh and good luck with the Grand Final too

Look on the bright side Sean, if you have the staying power or the right mix of stimulants you will be able to watch and/or listen to every ball.
Boxing day in Melbourne promises to be one of Cricket’s great days, Biblical!!