There was a time when the arrival of the Ashes would signal another demonstration of Australian power prevailing over England’s motley crew of futility players collapsing like the House of Usher.
But matters have changed dramatically from the halcyon period of Shane Warne and the Waugh twins, Adam Gilchrist and Glenn McGrath. And when the latest Ashes battle starts at Edgbaston on Thursday, it’s Joe Root’s team who will be favourites to maintain the stranglehold at home they have established since 2005.
In many respects, the contest has to prove that Test cricket remains the pinnacle of the game and one of the most dispiriting aspects of last week’s England v Ireland tussle was the abject lack of batting technique, application and resolve to occupy the crease from most of the participants.
It tells you something when that match’s highest scorer was nightwatchman, Jack Leach, who hasn’t even been selected in the England squad, despite his 92 at Lord’s.
Indeed, the lack of spin options remains an Achilles heel for the Blighty brigade. Moeen Ali can’t buy a run at the moment, but with Adil Rashid again omitted from the proceedings, it will be down to Ali to bear the burden if it’s required.
The trouble is that both sides are so jam-packed with quality pace bowlers it’s difficult to envisage any of the Tests reaching the fifth day. England have James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Sam Curran, while the Aussies boast Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh and Peter Siddle. That’s a firework factory of pyrotechnics.
How will the batsmen face up to the challenge, with slip cordons waiting to pounce? Problems exist for both top orders, with the hosts still unsure of their best Nos 1-3, a deficiency which wasn’t helped by their glaring problems against the Irish.
Then there’s the intriguing question of how David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft will react to the barrage of abuse they will receive from the Barmy Army in Birmingham and throughout the series.
Personally, I reckon the trio have served their time for their ball-tampering antics in South Africa, and the English should perhaps remember their former captain Michael Atherton was involved in similar shenanigans 25 years ago.
But if that triumvirate decide to spend as much time as possible defying and resisting their traditional adversaries – and Smith and Warner are genuine world-class talents – then the boos could actually be counter-productive.
What we need is a throwback to the 2005 Ashes, which was one of the greatest campaigns in cricket history. But, at that stage, both countries still had players who could grind out hundreds without resorting to reverse sweeps or flamboyant shots from the Twenty20 repertoire.
Ultimately, there’s nothing to compare with a protracted five-day battle which ebbs and flows, and provides as many twists as an O Henry story. Four of the five Tests 14 years ago reached the last day.
I would be amazed if any more than a couple went to the wire in the weeks ahead, with ball dominating bat in August and September. It would be excellent to be proved wrong!
