Even though Australia have lost this series 3-0 they are in better shape now than they were at the start of The Ashes. They have more clarity both about what their best XI is and their batting order, and that’s due to the good Test cricket they have played in the last three matches.
I don’t think they fear England any more. Deep down, at the start of the series, they would have worried about how they were going to play James Anderson or bowl to Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen, but they have overcome all those concerns and you can sense they believe they can beat England.
Playing better cricket and getting themselves into winning situations in the last three Tests will hold them in good stead for the return series.
Australia, like any team, are more confident at home. They will not ask for pitches to be prepared to suit their own team – they will get what they are given, which is the way it should be – but what people will notice is there is more grass on the pitches in Australia now than there was when England toured a couple of winters ago.
In the last two seasons in Australia the board have wanted a more even contest between bat and ball. Gone are the days when we had flat pitches and batsmen scoring thousands of runs. Now the bowlers are dominating and the batsmen are struggling to average 40. It is a result of the wickets rather than poor batting techniques.
It is going to be hard work for the top three or four batsmen from both teams against quality bowling attacks.
England have won the Ashes this summer because they been the better team in the bigger moments – especially in the first two Tests. Even though England have won the last three Tests 1-0, if you looked at which side won the most sessions you would have to conclude Australia have dominated. They should have won in Manchester and if that had happened they would have regained that winning feeling and had momentum at Durham. With that winning experience at Old Trafford, I believe they would have closed it out at Durham when they were 147 for one in the second innings chasing 299 to win.
England have not played anywhere near as well as they can but still won 3-0. They will be pretty happy because they know they can improve, but they will also be aware it has been a lot closer than the series scoreline suggests.
The reason England have not played to their best is because Australia have not let them. Australia’s bowlers have executed some fantastic plans to Cook, Trott, Prior and Pietersen, who apart from the big hundred at Old Trafford has not had much of an impact.
To Cook, Australia have hardly bowled any balls to his pads or above his waist. They have bowled drive balls all the time and had more patience than him. With Trott they have bowled short balls, peppering him at times with leg slips. Michael Clarke’s fields to him have been fantastic.
The senior players such as Cook and Trott will want to improve and it will be interesting to see if Australia keep the same tactics on the fast, bouncy pitches Down Under.
Apart from Ian Bell, who has been fantastic, Australia once again have the better numbers but have lost the big moments, a fact I put down to inexperience.
Australia walk away from this series with that experience. The likes of Steve Smith, Nathan Lyon, Ryan Harris (who’s been superb) and Chris Rogers have now experienced the intensity of Ashes cricket. All the Aussie players have improved for that reason. They did not match England’s intensity in the first two Tests, but have learned how to put themselves into winning positions.
It is really important Australia continue to do that. After the one-dayers here they go to India for another one-day series before a couple of crucial Sheffield Shield games, when a few spots for the first Test will be nailed down.
Australia have chopped and changed a bit, but by doing so they have stumbled across their best team. It will be hard to move Shane Watson from three for the first Ashes Test in November because it has been so long since an Australian scored a century batting in that position. Looking ahead regarding the Australian team, I think Shaun Marsh, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Josh Hazlewood and Fawad Ahmed will all come into consideration for selection and they will all be on display in the one day series – for me, watch out for Coulter-Nile.
Nathan Lyon has been fantastic in this series, but we know that some of the English players struggle against wrist spin, particularly Ian Bell. I would be seriously looking at Ahmed if he does well in the one-dayers.
Darren Lehmann will have a pretty good idea of his best XI now. With Boof there is no malice in anything he does. He is a knockabout guy who talks straight. We really like that and we have to be careful. If we censor people or jump on top of them for having a bit of banter with the media then they are going to change and you will get the stock, robotic answers. But what Boof also has to remember is he now the coach of the Australian cricket team and has to be a bit careful in what he says – even if it is in jest.
The Broad incident is just a little tap on the wrist. Have fun and banter, but be a bit careful.
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