The Ashes

If I told you that I am a sports fan, you would not give it another thought. Has a Y chromosome, of course he's a sports fan. Nothing strange about that.

If I told you that I spend my time following a game that takes place within a period of five days, you would think I have gone round the bend. Let alone the craziness of the fans, what kind of sportsman plays a game for five days and often ends up without a result?

That is the beauty of Test cricket, a game that truly tests a man's mettle, character, grit and determination in the face of tremendous adversity- often in the form of facing down balls thrown at him at 90+ miles an hour.

The most elegant form of that game takes place between the century old rivalry between England and Australia. This contest, known as the Ashes, is the highest form of the game in these two countries. Australia, being a superpower in the world of cricket, care more about beating England in the Ashes than becoming world champion. Ditto England.

For the last twenty five years or so, poor form and a persistent lack of team spirit on the part of the English had led to the contest being one sided and a foregone conclusion. From 1989 to 2003 Australia had won all the contests. England won at home in 2005 but lost in Australia in 2007.

When Australia came to England in 2009, England after a somewhat shaky beginning took control of the series with their home turf advantage. Nothing came close to representing the sheer nature of the English victory than the match at Lord's.

Lord's Cricket Ground is the Mecca or epicenter of the whole cricketing world. It is the sanctum sanctorum of the game, a visual representation of the very distinctiveness that is cricket. Since 1934 to 2009, England had failed to win a Test match at Lord's against Australia. Finally, in 2009 they broke the curse of 75 years. 

It was the second match, the first in Cardiff ending in a hair raising draw on the fifth day. The third match in Edgbaston was interrupted by rain, ending in another draw. England was up 1-0 after three matches but in the fourth match in Headingley Australia came back with a convincing win to level the series. After having to face a do-or-die scenario to win back the series, England won the fifth match at The Oval and won the Ashes back from Australia.

But anyone can win at home. Can you win the away games? That is the true test of a good team. So if England wanted to prove itself, it must beat Australia in Australia and retain the Ashes- something they had not been able to do since 1986-1987 series.

The series began with the usual recrimination about whether England had it in them to retain the Ashes. The first match in Brisbane ended in a draw. England made an uninspiring 260 all out in the first innings to which Australia responded with 481 all out. England came back strong in the second innings with 517 for 1 bit Australia ended the fifth day of play with 107 for 1, 189 behind but the stipulated time had ran out. Hence a draw was declared.

At the Adelaide Oval Australia began the second match by batting first. They scored 245 all out to which England responded with a massive 620 for 5. Australia's second innings folded at 304 all out. England won by an innings and 71 runs.

Fired up by the defeat Australia began a fierce fightback at the third match in Perth. Although their first inning was a rather unimpressive 268 all out, a determined Mitchell Johnson destroyed the England innings at 187 all out. Starting with a lead of 81, Australia came back with 309 all out. Having to face a target of 391, England's second innings was destroyed at 123 all out. Australia won by 267 runs. The series stood at 1-1. 

Things were heating up and Australia seemed to have found wind in their sails. Would england be able to retain the Ashes or would Australia press on the home turf advantage?

The fourth match began at the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground. Batting first, Australia was destroyed at 98 all out in the first innings. England responded with a massive 513 all out. Australia began their second innings being 415 behind and was smashed at 258 all out- a victory of an innings and 157 runs by England.

Since the fourth match victory meant that the series of five stood at 2-1 with one match to go, England could not lose the series and therefore they safeguarded their win of 2009. Australia could level the series at 2-2 in the final match but England would not defeated. But can England finally win the series in Australia? All they needed was a draw in the fifth match for the series win.

The fifth match began in Sidney with Australia batting first. They finished their first innings at 280 all out. England responded with 644 all out. Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Matt Prior all scored centuries (that's a personal score of 100 or more). In reply Australia was bundled out in their second innings at 281 all out. England won by an innings and 83 runs.

England has won the Ashes in Australia for the first time in 25 years. As the former Prime Minister Ted Heath said (on hearing of the political demise of the Iron Lady), “Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice!”