The Ashes
There are many rivalries in sports that run through from the beginning of the sport till its end , but few are as iconic as the Ashes , a yearly clash between the original two test cricket teams of England and Australia . While it seems like an ordinary bilateral 5 test series , the Ashes carries more than the prize money for the victors . The winners go home with pride . Captains have gone through entire terms of leading teams , bringing the Ashes home always on their mind , in a little corner , when the time of the year arrives .
It all began in the ate 19th century , when Australia beat England on English soil . Defending an impossibly low target , one might have forgiven the men Down Under to have hung their socks and called it a day , but fast bowler Fred Spofforth was hungry for victory even then . He bowled the last 4 wickets all by himself for a mere 2 runs , leaving England stranded from victory , merely 8 runs apart . This historic win was the origin of the Ashes , and every year England and Australia try to replicate this great cricket game in its 5 match series . For them , it’s personal .
This year it seems that Australia sought to win the Ashes back from the English , and they are in fact on the brink of doing so . Having won 2 of their 5 matches in rather dominant fashion , the Australian side seems to be having a chokehold on the English . Both matches have gone very similarly , with England posting a medium score , while Australia simply racks up a humongous total in the first innings , with a lead of 278 in the first game and 240 runs in the second . What inevitably followed is a depleted English side trying to make amends , which are barely enough to not lose by one whole innings . In the first game , Australia merely had to knock 20 runs ( which they did comfortably , losing only Carey ) . The second game was a crushing defeat of 272 runs , a mammoth difference in the scores .
It is not that England is playing terribly. They are in fact showing promising performances , sprinkled in their games , but Australia is shining in simply every aspect . It does not help matters that England’s ace Ben Stokes is not fully fit to take his opponents down . Australia is just thoroughly consistent in , especially in the bowling department , as after putting relentless pressure on the batsmen , they are often rewarded with a collapse of the English team . It is something that the English would have to work for by the time the deciding test comes up on 26th , for they stand to lose everything in this game . What I feel England has to work on is simply their consistency . They have shown the world their capabilities and prowess , but are yet to convince the world these talents are a part of who they are , and not a one time wonder .
Whatever happens , I expect the Ashes to be a great series going forward , as Australia looks to be completely dominant , while England is backed to a corner. And the when no team is more dangerous than England when they have nothing to lose.