England vs Australia, The Ashes: 3 things to eagerly look forward to

After the exciting high of the IPL followed by one of the most competitive World Cups ever, it’s fair to say cricket fans across the globe would be craving for more such top-quality cricket to enthral them.

The last 5-6 months has been exciting and filled with thrills right from some tight, close games in the IPL to a World Cup that saw hosts England become first time champions in a WC finals that would go down as among the best ODI to have been played.

The action finally shifts to the highest and toughest form of cricket-test cricket to take centre stage. In a precursor to the main event- The Ashes, England took on Ireland at Lord’s last week. Although Chris Woakes and Stuart Broad were just too good for the Irish batsmen to dismiss them for 38, Ireland really pushed the hosts, setting off some alarms ahead of the Ashes.

With the ICC Test Championships officially going to kick off with the Ashes, the stakes are extremely high. Not only is the Ashes series the pinnacle of achievement for any English or Australian cricketer, the test championships will ensure even more competitiveness when they face off at Edgbaston from August 1, 2019.

Here’s building up to the oldest rivalry in test cricket, by looking at 3 things to eagerly look forward to from this Ashes series :

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England would want to give their coach Trevor Bayliss a fitting farewell

England’s head coach Trevor Bayliss will end his tenure post the Ashes series. The Australian took charge in 2015 and has revolutionised the way England look at their limited overs cricket. The change in attitude and approach of players is clearly visible to everyone following England’s rise to ODI supremacy in recent times.

Trevor Bayliss comes in with sparkling achievements- he coached KKR to glory in 2012 and 2014 and, he helped Sydney Sixers lift the BBL trophy in 2011-12 season. His skill as a coach was never in doubt when he took over from Andy Flower as England’s coach in 2015.

England’s rapid rise in LOI’s where they reached the finals of the World T20 in 2016 only to be blown by Carlos Braithwaite at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata to their first ever World Cup title comes at a cost- rapid decline in their Test cricket.

Their recent collapse against Ireland where they were blown away by Tim Murtagh to fold up within a session is not a rarity for England off late. Their clear lack of clarity in picking or choosing the right players to bat at the top of the order in Test cricket has resulted in some embarrassing performances.

England’s inability to play the moving ball at pace was exposed in their recent tour to the West Indies where they were blown away by Shannon Gabriel, Kemar Roach and James Holder. Their performances in LOI’s and Tests has been contrasting to say the least in Bayliss’s term as coach.

Clear weaknesses at the top of the order has exposed the middle order on many occasions. Trevor Bayliss started his tenure with England by winning the 2015 Ashes at home, it’s only fitting that England do an encore of 2015 and send their coach out on a high.

But it remains to be seen if England can find a solution to cope against Mitchell Starc, Patt Cummins, Josh Hazelwood and Nathan Lyon once the series starts? Only time will tell.

The last Ashes series for Stuart Broad and James Anderson

The last Ashes series for Jimmy and Broady

Two of World Cricket and England’s finest bowlers, James Anderson and Stuart Broad will be playing their last Ashes series on home soil. Both fast bowlers have served their country with aplomb. They have been the pillar around which England have achieved a lot of success in Test cricket.

Their records speak for themselves. 575 wickets at an average of 26.94 with best figures of 7/42 in 148 matches for James Anderson and 444 wickets in 127 matches at an average of 28.84 with best figures of 8/15 for Stuart Broad.

Both these stalwarts have carried the burden of the English bowling attack for more than a decade now. They have spearheaded some memorable performances for England against their old foes Australia.

James Anderson and Stuart Broad have all the skills required to let the new ball swing both ways and cause lot of problems for Australia’s top order. They will be assisted by Chris Woakes and Jofra Archer. The battle of England’s fast bowling quartet against the Australian top order will be one the major highlights of this Ashes series.

No doubt, both these exceptional exponents of fast bowling would be missed but they would be motivated to finish off on a high against Australia one last time.

Can the World Cup stars convert their ODI form into success in whites?

Can Mitchell Starc and David Warner carry their WC form into the Ashes?

Such is the nature of the modern game that there is hardly enough time to settle down after a long, exhaustive tournament. That is what is happening to World Champions England and semi-finalists Australia who will lock horns in a very significant Test series barely a few weeks after the World Cup.

It’s a challenge which the modern-day cricketer must adapt to and quickly if they play across formats. So, the exciting aspect to look forward to now is can the same players who excelled in the World Cup carry that momentum and success in whites once the Ashes starts?

David Warner amassed 647 runs in ten matched an imperious average of 71.89 with a highest score of 166, Joe Root scored 552 runs and Jonny Bairstow 532 runs. Ben Stokes had an outstanding tournament overall by scoring 465 runs including those crucial 85 runs in the finals that helped England win the World Cup.

Mitchell Starc had a fantastic tournament by becoming the leading wicket-taker (27). Jofra Archer (20 wickets) and Chris Woakes(11 wickets) also impressed one and all. The question is can they have the same impact when they are operating with the red duke ball?

How fresh and energetic can the World Cup stars be as they head into such a high intensity, gruelling series? Clearly, it’s going to be the battle of the fittest once the series starts on August 1st, 2019.