The Ashes 2013: Looking at the Aussies' chances

The 90s was a period of Aussie’s dominance. Between 1989 and 2003, England won just eight matches of the 43 that were played, leaving people to question if it even was a competition anymore. The English seemed only to appear to bear their whipping and leave in a sorry state. There seemed to be no hunger to win like the Australians who constantly found new ways of tearing apart their opponents. Where England were hapless, Australia were relentless.

In 2003, Australia once again trampled all over the English, winning 4-1, before losing in an amazing series in 2004-05 after 18 years, but then recovered rather well when they took back the Ashes with a 5-0 drubbing in 2006-07. Yet, as we draw closer to the first Test in Nottingham, the odds heavily favour Alistair Cook’s men and fans are already preparing for an Australian breakdown at this year’s tourney.

It’s funny what six years can do to a team. During the 2006-07 series, the Australian team was widely regarded as one of the most dangerous teams in the history of the game. Bowling to their batting line-up was the ultimate test for any cricketer and very rarely did one emerge unscathed. And the extent of their dominance on world cricket was very apparent, with three consecutive World Cup wins under their belt and a place on top of the rankings for what seemed like an eternity. They were aggressive, ruthless, grandiose, destructive, and everybody hated them. But the fact remained that they were the best in the business.

The Australian side which decimated England 5-0 in 2006-07

The last few years have been a period of demise for Australia. The sudden surge of retirements of their golden boys has led to an almost West Indies-like downfall. Heroes one day, zeroes the next.

After the announcement of the squad for the Ashes this year, legend Ian Botham went as far as to say that this was the worst Australian squad he had seen in recent memory. Harsh words once ascribed only to Australia, who thrived on psychological warfare. With no retaliation to that statement, somewhere maybe the Aussies themselves know there is truth tinged in Botham’s words.

Their recent failures in India and in the Champions Trophy have probably started off a herculean downfall for the Aussies, a period of lull maybe. And poetically, ironically, anyway you look at it, it’s the Australians who will now have to work to regain the ashes they held onto for so, so long.

But what does a batting line-up consisting of Phil Hughes, Ed Cowan and Brad Haddin backed by bowlers like Robert Pattinson and Peter Siddle, compare to one with Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist, with bowling duties handed to Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne?

The Ashes seem a far-fetched dream to the ordinary Aussie fan. And even the evidently ordinary Australian cricketer.