The grand stadiums are ready, cricketing merchandise is selling like hotcakes, tickets have been sold out four months in advance and the talks around the water cooler more often than not are gravitating toward that elusive question: "Who will win The Ashes this time around?" Yes, folks, it's that time of the year. The most eagerly anticipated Ashes series in recent memory kicks off with the English team landing in Brisbane, Australia, this November.
For those not familiar with the history of this iconic cricketing clash between the two titans of world cricket, The Ashes were first played when the England team lost to Australia at home in 1882. An English newspaper published a mock obituary, mourning the "death" of English cricket with the words, "the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia." After the England tour of Australia in 1883, where England won, the winning captain was handed over a tiny urn reputed to have the ashes of a bail — hence winning back "The Ashes." The tradition has been followed ever since and a long-standing rivalry has ensued.
Now, what exactly are these two teams playing? Test Match Cricket: dreaded matches that can go on up to five days. Every day, 90 overs are bowled — making a maximum of 450 overs in a game in which a team can bat up to two times. The team that makes the most runs and also gets the other team out twice wins the game.
What excites the cricket viewing public most about the upcoming Ashes series is the competiveness of the two teams, as they are matched evenly in terms of talent. Over the previous two decades, Australia has been vastly superior to England, drubbing them each time the English set foot on their soil. There was a brief glimmer of hope when England won the home leg of the 2005 series in what the Wisden Cricket Almanac — the holy book of cricket — regards as the most exciting Ashes series to have ever been played. However, the team got thrashed 5-0 when it went to Australia, and the bubble had burst.
But this time there is renewed optimism. England has again won the home leg of the Ashes series, and the players are oozing with confidence. Australia, on the other hand, has been hit by a spate of retirements from their world-beating team and is in a transition period, honing young blood for the future.
Let's look over the areas in which one team scored over the other as we preview this edition of The Ashes. The key aspect is that the series is being played in Australia. Home advantage is a huge bonus for Australia as the English traditionally struggle on their hard, bouncing pitches in the searing heat — besides having the knowledge that they haven't won a series in Australia for over 30 years. The English will have to toughen up mentally to deal with the hostile home crowd and be willing to take the fight to the opposition. In terms of batting, both teams have a weak opening partnership, with England having only a minor edge. In the middle order, Ricky Ponting might be on the wane, but he is still one of the best batsmen to have ever played and will be a big threat. English player Kevin Pietersen, however, is going through a slump in terms of his batting, and if England is to win, Pietersen has to regain his blistering form. In terms of bowling, the Australians have a superior fast bowling lineup with more variety. England's trump card comes in the form of Gramme Swann — the irrepressible spin bowler who holds the key to England's success.
All in all, the teams are evenly matched and it's too close to call. Bring on The Ashes.
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Avinash Asthana is a junior majoring in computer science. He can be reached at Avinash.Asthana@tufts.edu
