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India is the new England

Anthony Sharwood

by Anthony Sharwood

29 Dec 06:00am

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Filed under: Cricket, England, India, Sport

82 comments

They’re already spruiking fans’ tours to the 2013 Ashes on the telly, in between ads for priceless mock memorabilia and the odd spot of cricket.

They don't leave beer cans on the beaches, either

Not interested. Wouldn’t go to see The Ashes if I could. But the next tour to India? Now that’s something worth saving up for, and not just because India is a far more enticing travel destination than dreary, drizzly old England.

Fact is, Australia vs India is cricket’s great new rivalry. The Ashes, great tradition though it is, is second, with South Africa vs Australia third and daylight fourth. Disagree? Here are 10 reasons why India is the new England.

1. Losing to them feels like a death in the family
England was once our colonial overlord and a great global power. Losing to them used to be as unpalatable as English food. Nowadays, a loss to England is only mildly painful and/or humiliating. But losing to India is like rubbing vindaloo paste into your eyes.

2. Crowds
This year’s Boxing Day Test has so far drawn crowds of 70k, 52k and 40k. That’s not far off last year’s numbers against England. Overall, the Indians are huge draw cards, and we draw huge crowds when we play over there. India has even now acquired a Barmy Army equivalent in the “Swami Army”.

3. The players are mates
In the old days, Australian players shared pork pies and pints with Englishmen in county cricket and the lesser leagues. Now, Australian cricketers are far more likely to break naan bread with Indians in the IPL. Each year, genuine friendships are forged between players thrown together by the whims of cricket fate and big-spending industrialists. This fuels the international rivalry

4. Yet the players really hate each other
England and Australia haven’t had a serious outbreak of belligerence since Bodyline. But India and Australia have. The Harbhajan/Andrew Symonds “Monkeygate” and “Monkeygate II” spats were just the latest spats between two teams with a habit of getting under each other’s skins. No one is saying scandal is a good thing, but in a roundabout way, it suggests that these teams care about beating each other more than any other team.

5. India always have genuine greats with a capital G
Decade after decade, England used to produce truly great players. Since Ian Botham retired 20 years ago, the production line hasn’t churned out a fully-fledged megastar – though Andrew Flintoff came close. Even when England whipped Australia last summer, they did so with a champion team, not a team of champions. All credit to them, but Australians love to take on the very best of the best, like Sehwag and Tendulkar.

6. Our players are treated like rock stars over there
Warney was big in England. Still is. But nowhere near as big as Brett Lee is in Bollywood. Steve Waugh set the tone by taking an active interest in India’s downtrodden, and the majority of Australian cricketers have been respected, if not idolised, ever since.

7. India is the cradle of the game
England rightfully ruled cricket for years. Now a toothless tiger called the ICC technically runs it, but everyone knows the game’s real power centre is India. This isn’t necessarily as good thing, as India can be recalcitrant and its dollars can speak louder than sense, but it does mean that India’s national team has assumed the role of the big guy we little guys love to beat.

8. Knife edge series
The 2005 and 2009 Ashes series in England were Test cricket at its thrilling best. But so were the 2001 and 2004 series in India. Fact is, India vs Australia always seems to throw up a great contest these days, even when one side is demonstrably weaker. You can’t say that about the majority of Ashes series in the last 20 years.

9. Cultural and economic ties
We all know Australia’s future lies in Asia, not some small island on the cold, distant side of the world. That’s why we send India our uranium and they send us their students. Australia’s sporting ties with England were built on the back of our cultural ties. Now we’re building the same sort of relationship with India.

10. India lives and dies for cricket
England invented cricket, but in the last 50 years, it has pretty much decided that soccer is all it cares about. Even in the brief EPL off-season, cricket barely manages to bump the tedious player transfer deals from the back page. But in India, cricket is the pulse of the masses. As it once was in England, but never will be again.

Twitter: @antsharwood

Do you think India will be Australia’s great cricket rival in years to come, or can no country ever match England? And what’s going to happen today? Treat this story as your cricket open thread.

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82 comments

Show oldest | newest first

    • Macca says:

      06:07am | 29/12/11

      I think the history we have with England still makes it our number 1 rival, but the series we have had with Imdia over the past 7 or 8 years have been incredible.

      All have been quality cricket series with world class players. Neither team has dominated the other, and considering people were complaining about the lack of competition in test match cricket a decade ago, India is a valid close rival.

      Reply

    • Mahhrat says:

      06:20am | 29/12/11

      The far bigger problem is the lack of T20 on the free to air television.

      How did it happen that a major arm of the country’s biggest summer sport got picked up on pay television?  It’s ludicrous.

      I’m not sure how they’re going to gain the grass roots support when so many people can’t actually watch the games played here. 

      That translates to national pride.  No, as much as I applaud Austar’s nous in acquiring it, this is one of those things that should be made available to all sporting fans.

      Reply
    • Anthony Sharwood

      Anthony Sharwood says:

      07:18am | 29/12/11

      Pretty sure The BBL didn’t exist when they drew up the anti-siphoning list. Agree it is frustrating. I actually don’t have Foxtel at home either, as otherwise I’d be up every night watching poker and ice road truckers. But I’ve caught a few games in the local pub

    • Stinger says:

      08:04am | 29/12/11

      @Pickles

      Why do you think he is inflating his blog statistics with his own comments?

    • jrvk says:

      08:32am | 29/12/11

      rather the A-League on FTA than that contrived cr@p, to be honest.  the real cricket is already on FTA and i’m loving every second of it!

    • Condor says:

      08:37am | 29/12/11

      You know ch9 wouldn’t show them in full anyway whilst live. You’d only get a delayed telecast whilst they showed a repeat of CSI instead

      I think it’s time for sport to move to pay tv and be shown in full and live. $50 per month isn’t much to ask to see a team try underhanded tactics like blocking the review system and appealing every time a seagull flapped it’s wings

      Awesome stuff to watch, though

    • Kebabpete says:

      09:28am | 29/12/11

      I am so sick of watching ch9 (along with 7 & 10) pump so many adverts and plugs into a broadcast these days. It is just a joke. A sporting event that should be live is delayed so they can break for commercials.

      More importantly though, this is all whilst showing it in standard definition too! Because ch9 are reluctant to lose viewers to its sister channel Gem HD (and hence reduce what they make in advertising dollars), we have to sit through poverty vision.

      This makes us a laughing stock in world sports broadcasting. Especially when this current test series is being shown live in HD in England.

      And you can’t blame the anti-siphoning laws, because that doesn’t force them to show I Love Lucy back to back for 4 hours, it only stops them showing digital HD only.

    • Thomas says:

      09:29am | 29/12/11

      I dont see how a lack of T20 on television is a problem.  Its the Andrea Rieu of classical music, the fast food of food, the a current affair of television, the…you know what I mean. Its a reflection on current society of how everything is dumbed down and trivialised because people are too stupid to concentrate on anything for longer than two minutes.

      Anyone that gets into “cricket” via T20 is not a true cricket fan and has no idea.

      Its not cricket - never has been and never will be.

    • Macca says:

      11:12am | 29/12/11

      Sport should be shown live. This is the greatest flaw with the Anti-siphoning list. I’d like to watch the BBL but same asthe A-League and Super15, it wouldn’t exist without Pay-TV dollars.

    • RobJ says:

      01:18pm | 29/12/11

      “Its not cricket - never has been and never will be”

      So…....is backyard cricket cricket? Just because the self-appointed ‘elites’ say it isn’t cricket doesn’t make it so.

    • Tator says:

      06:06pm | 29/12/11

      Kebabpete,
      you will probably find that once all of Australia is switched over to digital and the analogue system shut down that the networks will use their HD channels as prime sports channels.  It is just that there are people still out there using analogue and the anti syphoning laws state that they must still be able to view the stuff on the list too.

    • Ziggy says:

      06:40am | 29/12/11

      I must admire how this fellow can keep on dredging up such dross.

      Reply

    • Stinger says:

      07:04am | 29/12/11

      Gets paid too!

    • Anthony Sharwood

      Anthony Sharwood says:

      07:11am | 29/12/11

      Got paid for uploading these comments too

    • nihonin says:

      07:29am | 29/12/11

      Bahzinga Mr Sharwood.

    • Pickles... The Drummer says:

      07:35am | 29/12/11

      Ant do you get paid for each comment?

    • Anthony Sharwood

      Anthony Sharwood says:

      07:45am | 29/12/11

      Yes, an M&M pops out the side of my computer each time I comment and wag my tail. Ooh! A blue one!

    • Shane From Melbourne says:

      10:34am | 29/12/11

      @Anthony Sharwood- Don’t go for the blue M+Ms. They’re the ones with the weird taste…..

    • Tator says:

      06:07pm | 29/12/11

      always thought M&M’s were computer poo too

    • Kirsty says:

      07:34am | 29/12/11

      Good article Ant.  I admire Tandulkar and co. for their talent and the way they simply put their heads down and do the job. 
      In a perfect world India and Pakistan would solve their problems through cricket instead of military action :D

      Reply

    • Bruce says:

      07:37am | 29/12/11

      Hard to beat the history of a game. The home of cricket will always be the UK., along with Rugby Union, Rugby League. Much like St. Andrews is to the game of golf, Wimbledon to Tennis. Other countries maybe able to attract bigger crowds or financial rewards. All of these games can be very quickly transported to any financially beneficial or popular location, which is great for the game. But when it comes to playing where the history of a game is, thats where the real rivalry and enduring interest will be.

      Reply

    • Lapun says:

      11:37am | 29/12/11

      Bruce:  RUGBY LEAGUE?????? The UK????  Australia is the home of Rugby League!

    • Prashanth says:

      12:24pm | 29/12/11

      Sure and why is it good to play in England? To see old people sleeping on the stands? To see rain reducing the series to half and more draws than results? Always have a gloomy feeling and not to forget England have players like Cook and Trot, no wonder old people and kids are sleeping in the stands and a million others at home. I personally like India-Aus series more than Aus-Eng or Ind-Eng. This Eng team is too powerful at home and too weak away (so no fun). Five years ago, they were a lot more vulnerable at home and a lot better abroad than what they are now. If its not the large crowd, the media attention on it, the large amounts of money involved, the scintillating cricket, powerful cricket stars and exciting crowds, then on what basis would u choose Eng over India as a home for cricket?Just history? Times have changed buddy…No English player or fan can have the same amount of passion as the Indians. A local Indian sweeper has a better knowledge of Cricket than a Geoff Boycott of England. True story.

    • RobJ says:

      01:25pm | 29/12/11

      “Bruce:  RUGBY LEAGUE?????? The UK????  Australia is the home of Rugby League!”

      No, it isn’t… No doubt that Australia are light years ahead but the home of League is the North of England

    • Bruce says:

      03:53pm | 29/12/11

      Lupin: Yes, the home of Rugby League is Northern England. Check out its history and why Rugby League separated from Rugby Union. A great read. ROBJ, you mean Lupin.

    • RobJ says:

      05:37pm | 29/12/11

      Ooops, sorry Bruce, I was addressing the quote.

    • Dave says:

      07:39am | 29/12/11

      Great article Anthony. Gotta agree with you, although I wish the West Indies would get their act together again, as for a long time (as much as we lost most until the 90’s) their series vs. Australia came close to being more entertaining and compelling than the Ashes too I believe.

      Reply

    • Josh says:

      08:25am | 29/12/11

      The last series v West Indies was quite good… Sure it was 2-0 in the end; but the final game went to the wire and it could have been 1-1.

    • thatmosis says:

      07:51am | 29/12/11

      I love my cricket but cant bring myself to watch and game with India playing as they make heros out of cheats, refering of course to dravid and tendulka, both convicted ball tamperers and both treated like gods by their adoring fans. If thats what it takes in India to become a god then I for one would rather watch reruns of Master Chef or some other dross.

      Reply

    • hs says:

      10:14am | 29/12/11

      yeah cricket doesnt need you in anyways .....you are made for masterchef

    • SteveH says:

      11:49am | 29/12/11

      Did you dream this up?  Do all of us a favour and get yourself checked by a psychiatrist.

    • RobJ says:

      01:29pm | 29/12/11

      Odd how you can manage to capitalise the words ‘master’ and ‘chef’ but not the proper nouns that are the names of Indian cricket players. Yes, cricket doesn’t need the likes of you.

      Warne and Waugh’s dodgy dealings with BOOKIES must have upset you.

    • Mark says:

      02:36pm | 29/12/11

      You actually watch Master Chef- Enough said about your brain capacity already, just stop breathing and do the rest of us a favour.

    • MK says:

      08:09am | 29/12/11

      you forgot the Number 1 reason,
      by dropping England to number 2,
      this will piss off the Poms
      No more resons required

      Reason 2:
      Currently We probably have a better chance of beating India….
      well away form India at least
      England is more likely to outclass us in either England or Austrlia

      Reply

    • Rick of the Dustbowl says:

      09:27am | 29/12/11

      Could not agree more anything to piss off the poms
      I went to India in 2005 after not leaving the country(Australia) for 40 years this was my first OS trip.I thought twice about going after stories of people waking up in baths of ice water(you know the story) but had a great time. They love the game over there and we had to play with the locals. Every one kept coming up to me saying I was Shane Warne.
      I dont know about beating India though, they have a more experienced side than Australia at the moment…..winning isn’t everything, pissing pommy barstards off is. How good is Tendulca with those shots over slip?

    • David says:

      08:17am | 29/12/11

      The only questionable sentiment is saying that it is no longer considered horrific to lose to England. As far as public reaction goes, I think the only thing that would be considered more ghastly would be if a nuclear bomb was dropped on Sydney. Losing to the Poms hurts. Alot.

      Reply

    • antman says:

      11:56am | 29/12/11

      I’m sure most Australians (being those who don’t live in Sydney) could think of many things more ghastly than a nuclear bomb being dropped on Sydney, like a nuclear bomb not being dropped on Sydney.

    • Shane From Melbourne says:

      02:14pm | 29/12/11

      @antman- The only thing worse would be a nuclear bomb not being dropped on Canberra…..

    • Canberra is a hole says:

      02:41pm | 29/12/11

      Good call Shane. Worse still - If the nuke was dropped on Canberra during a non sitting week.

    • Penster says:

      08:21am | 29/12/11

      When David Beckham gets sick of soccer and takes up cricket, England will be right back at the crease.

      Reply

    • Sir Harold says:

      08:23am | 29/12/11

      “Even when England whipped Australia last summer, they did so with a champion team, not a team of champions. All credit to them, but Australians love to take on the very best of the best, like Sehwag and Tendulkar.”

      Christ man, that’s funny. This Englishman crying with laughter. That’s a hell of a delusion. “We got humiliated but it wasn’t against a teams of champions so I’m cool with that.”

      Ok.

      You do realise that the word around the campfire is that Australia are the new Windies. This I rather like. Aussie journos are going through the denial stage just like the WI media did. For “Bring back Warne” see the “Bring back Viv” campaign….

      Reply

    • Billy Hill says:

      06:05am | 30/12/11

      Dont believe everything you here around a campfire. Its usually drunken gibber.

    • The Prof says:

      10:38am | 05/01/12

      Not really insulting to say they were a champion team rather than a team of champions.  At this stage none in the English team are likely to be considered all time greats.  However they are a very good side.  Hence losing to a champion team.

      Methinks you are a tad too delicate.

      And champion team or team of champions I am never happy losing to England

    • sir ronald bradnam says:

      08:40am | 29/12/11

      When india beat australia today and with NZ dominating australia a couple of weeks ago does that then rate the teams 1.NZ 2.India 3. Australia out of that little group.

      Reply

    • Rick of the Dustbowl says:

      10:01am | 29/12/11

      Is that you Sir Hadley? Your still a wanker!

    • sir ronald bradnam says:

      12:42pm | 29/12/11

      Dick of the Rustbowl…if I was sir richard I would still be the greatest bowler of all times.

    • the Big G says:

      08:46am | 29/12/11

      Partly agree Bruce, however F1 no longer has France and Monza is on the rocks, but the show goes on.  Makes for a more diluted competition and spectacle, but history isn’t a factor in decision making if you listen to Bernie talk.

      Fox Sports took a big risk signing up to cover the unproven Big Bash competition in its infancy and my understanding is the contract runs out at the end of this season.  They’ll have to bid for it again for 2012-13 and will have plenty of competition.

      I love series against England and India.  I want to beat England because it allows me to give it to my English friends, I want to beat India to see the smiles wiped off the faces of their feral supporters.

      Reply

    • Steve Putnam says:

      08:54am | 29/12/11

      Are you seriously saying that Australia would be happy to forgo the Ashes in exchange for defeating India? If so this is cloud cuckoo land stuff.
      Another thing; comparing a third rater like Bretly Bean-ball with Shane Warne just makes you look like a utter fool.

      Reply

    • Al Johnston says:

      08:59am | 29/12/11

      The Test cricket I would most like to see is a five-match series between the teams that are by some distance the best in the world right now: England and South Africa. I enjoy watching India play Australia, but both teams are in the also-ran category, especially Australia. India will struggle when their ageing greats pull the pin over the next couple of years.

      Reply

    • Andrew says:

      08:00pm | 29/12/11

      By some distance, Australia drew 1-1 with SA in SA and should have won 2-0, Sri Lanka look like drawing 1-1 with SA in SA and they have being the whipping boys lately, so how you work out that SA is a mile ahead is beyond me. They will lose Kallis and boucher soon, Prince not long after that and smith and rudolph are 31 so in a few years questions will be aske about them, so I dont think everything is rosely for SA, Kallis will be a massive loss, they will be up there for a few years yet, but if they dont dominate the next few years I cant see them doing it. India may struggle a bit but they do have a lot of good bats in T20, it depends if they can adapt to test matches, they will still be very hard to beat at home.

    • petrus2 says:

      09:03am | 29/12/11

      Nothing - absolutely NOTHING sucks like being beaten by the poms. I am sure vthat a certain pair of current Australian cricketers (punter & the pup) will spend their eternity doing some awful penance for allowing the poms to beat us TWICE!! . Cricket’s Holy Grail is still the Ashes and India would give its right arm to get some of that tradition!!

      Reply

    • Monty says:

      09:22am | 29/12/11

      England will always be Australia’s number 1 rival in test cricket, nothing beats ‘the ashes’...but is India that good or is Australia that weak, particularly in its batting, as that is where we failed against New Zealand.

      Reply

    • PW says:

      08:54am | 30/12/11

      Australia whooped NZ in Brisbane. In conditions much more to their liking, New Zealand played very well to win by a handful of runs in Hobart. They deserved the win but it could easily have gone the other way.

      Five years ago you’d call this a failure but the current Australian team is nowhere near that of a few years back.

    • I hate pies says:

      09:33am | 29/12/11

      No way; you can’t deny history. No matter how much the indians take over world cricket it will always be more important to beat the poms.
      If India didn’t have their “we own cricket” attitude we couldn’t care less if we beat them or not.
      I’m not sure what your point regarding crowds is - we’ve had lower crowds against India, yet that’s an indicator that people care? Doesn’t quite add up.
      At least when we play England or SA we know we’ll get good honest tough cricket, and they’ll play for the win; the Indians play for records and themselves.

      Reply

    • Kebabpete says:

      09:37am | 29/12/11

      Ant, you do raise a good argument but you’ve obviously never been to an Ashes match in England.

      They actually still let you enjoy the game and have some fun at the cricket grounds there. (Excluding Lords where its all pomp and ceremony) Instead of the fun police you get at cricket grounds here.

      English wickets actually change over 5 days too so it adds some excitement to the game and shows the skill of those that can adapt. That along with some healthy banter with the locals about how warm their beer is makes for a very good day out.

      Reply

    • sunnycoastman says:

      10:47am | 29/12/11

      Sounds like the comments of someone who’s decided the Poms are better than the Aussies and looking for an excuse to avoid this awful reality.  The Australia -v- England ashes series, have been, currently are and always will be, the one series the Aussies want to win above all else, if for no other reason than that they can’t stand the embarrassment of losing to the poms, ask any Aussie who watches cricket!

      Reply

    • James says:

      12:27pm | 29/12/11

      Sounds like the title of article by a journo who wants to generate some comments and justify his salary.  Seriously mate, day 4 of the first test and a real possibility of a result for both teams by stumps .... and there’s about a dozen people in the MCG to watch it. Think this is the new Ashes? Think again.

      Reply

    • thatmosis says:

      02:19pm | 29/12/11

      No Robj it was deliberate as is everything i do or say and as for dreaming this up Steve H google tendulka and dravid Ball Tampering and read it yourself. As for the Warne and Waugh, certainly but it wasnt outright cheating that could change the course of a game whereas it seems to be an indian player you must first pass Ball Tampering 101. Tough life isnt it. Have a nice day.

      Reply

    • John The Pom says:

      02:21pm | 29/12/11

      Sharwood you’re such a twit with an ‘a’ instead of an ‘i’. The real reason you spout this rubbish is that deep down, last year’s Ashes thrashing still hurts doesn’t it? You are glad to be playing an ageing Indian side as you have a chance of actually winning with the mediocre Australian side you so desperately worship. When you go to India, please drink the water from the tap and enjoy the slums where the unfortunate lower castes live in squalor amongst raw sewage as I’m sure you’ll be at home there along with your journalism.

      Reply
    • Anthony Sharwood

      Anthony Sharwood says:

      02:27pm | 29/12/11

      Ouch, decline of relevance hurts more than decline of empire apparently.

      Still, you have a point John. England is a fabulously advanced country. And such culture too. What was that fantastic street festival you had earlier this year when all the young people showed such wonderful community spirit? Ah yes, the London riots.

    • John The Pom says:

      02:49pm | 29/12/11

      Remember the Cronulla and Redfern riots Sharwood…a wonderful festival of cuture Australian style hey? Australia’s only relevance in England’s eyes is when we face off in sport. A tin pot country at the arse end of the world is how most see Oz.

      Reply

    • Zoyd says:

      03:21pm | 29/12/11

      In fact that’s how most Poms see their *own* country, sadly.

      How you see our country is of very little interest.

      We’re far from perfect but we like it here, about as far away from Poms and Pommieland as you can get without needing snowshoes.

    • Phil the greek says:

      03:50pm | 29/12/11

      Cronulla and Redfern???? Compared with the English August riots they were like a vicars tea party with cucumber sandwiches. A stuffed p..s pot country if i ever saw one.

    • holden says:

      05:32pm | 29/12/11

      John the stupid Pom… You seem to forget that when you got into trouble a couple of times we were called upon to help. Which we did, to our great cost. Think of North Africa, and the Battle of Britain, and the Europe campaigns. What a typical, cowardly, ungrateful example of what we know to be
      the type of Brit who ran from rebuilding your Country and sought refuge in ours.
      What a weak, cowardly contrast you present to the brave, courageous, Englishman who faced the enemy, be they Adolf Hitler or Donald Bradman, with equal valour.
      You would be as you are even if you were born on the moon.

    • Sean Williams says:

      08:10am | 30/12/11

      Aussies love to trot out this “decline of Empire” rubbish as if every Brit is a pyschological wreck because a quarter of the world is no longer pink. That said we do seem to still have our flag on a lot of other countries’ flags and old Liz rules the roost in a fair few of the old dominions. As for relevance, pray tell us how “relevant” you think Australia is in the world? If Britain is so irrelevant then why is it you so voraciously consume British culture - yes the c-word, you brought up. TV, movies, music, books, art. Look around you it’s all British. Sorry to break it to you but it doesn’t go both ways, the brief Neighbours fad among British housewives, students and the unemployed faded a couple of decades ago I’m afraid. Australian newspapers and websites like these are also full of British stories and opinion pieces about British issues, a good example being the London Riots which seemed to get as much coverage in a gleefully smug Australia than they did in the UK. Absolutely nothing that happens in Australia is remotely of interest to Britain. Oh, I tell a lie, three thumping innings victories that took place in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney last year did get a fair bit of coverage. Happy New Year convicts, enjoy your second rate series against an Indian side reduced to true irrelevance by the trauma of their recent 4-0 pounding by Test cricket’s undisputed new superpower.

    • Sean Williams says:

      08:20am | 30/12/11

      Calm down Holden. British people are immensely aware and appreciative of the Australian effort in the world wars. However, the idea that you were summoned to help is disingenuous. A more accurate reading is that Australian participation was highly popular, many Aussies then felt British and there was a sense of proving their worth as a loyal dominion. More recently, you also volunteered for shared causes in Iraq and Afghanistan, where British forces have done a lot more fighting and suffered far higher casualties than the rather token-ish Australian contributions (that is not to disrespect the tragic losses of brave soldiers your nation has suffered in Afghanistan). As I recall Australia was also desperate to be included in the Falklands campaign, but we managed that one fine on our own, but thanks for the offer.

    • Warmdownhere says:

      03:03pm | 29/12/11

      What an acid little man you are with an ego the size of your country and an intellect the size of your culture

      Reply

    • stephen says:

      04:44pm | 29/12/11

      Did your wife write that, (or was she only beside you when who wrote it ?)

    • Ashes Fanatic says:

      03:15pm | 29/12/11

      You are writing total tripe. The Ashes will always be the biggest game in cricket. Your ill-informed bandwagon jumping is typical of cheap sleezy journalism. As for that comment about the London riots -shame on you..why are you determined to trash 200 years of mutual culture and history and a great sporting rivalry for a weak headline? I’ve been watching the ashes for 30 plus years and you cant beat it..Indias a great country but we will never have the same relationship with them as we have with England..

      Reply

    • pete says:

      05:26pm | 29/12/11

      You do realise he’s a professional troll. Drawing out blokes like you to elicit an overly emotive response.

    • stephen says:

      04:57pm | 29/12/11

      We win by a hundred and twenty two runs, and a cracker Test it was too, albeit a bit too exciting by modern standards.
      Exciting because of modern standards ?
      Possibly, and the varieties of cricket technique used by One Dayers and The Twenty Players is having, I reckon, a beneficial trickledown to the Five Dayers.
      Hell, it was even a pleasure to see the New Zealanders go home with their tails between their legs.
      (Still, if I was Clarke, I’d have tied a big bag of sheeps nuts to the wing of their plane on the way home.
      ‘hey, Capt’n, what’s that rattlin’ noise ?
      That’s yer brain. lay back on go ter sleep ... it’s a long way to Auckland’.)

      Reply

    • H B Bear says:

      05:59pm | 29/12/11

      The main reason is that this Australian Test team couldn’t win an Ashes series to save itself. Three innings defeats by the Poms last summer was utterly woeful.

      Who drives the taxis in Melbourne while the cricket is on?

      Reply

    • PW says:

      08:58am | 30/12/11

      Pretty much what was happening some years ago but in reverse. If you cannot get your opposition out and they can get you out, you get beaten.

      Australia seem to have a decent crop of quicks coming through so there is hope for the future. The batting is still brittle, so its fortunate we don’t face England again for another 18 months.

    • rudy says:

      08:44pm | 29/12/11

      I’m Australian but barracking for Australia’s opponents in the cricket.  I want Australia to lose and force the selectors to dump the old guard.  Unfortunately it’s the dad’s army Indian batting that’s been exposed in this test.

      Reply

    • Geronimo says:

      06:03am | 30/12/11

      Presumably, your new paradigm is symbolic of the fact Australia’s overpaid impostors can’t beat anyone else. Aah So?

      Reply

    • Barge says:

      07:44am | 30/12/11

      Cricket has lost its way. The Indians are cheats and they virtually run the ICC (to their advantage). 20/20 is a load of crap, games are being rigged, the cricketers think they are rock stars and act accordingly. I used to enjoy my cricket but I just can’t bring myself to watch it any more.

      Reply

    • Stinger says:

      08:13am | 30/12/11

      I love how metro - Clarke is suddenly being portrayed as a tough-guy.  Not sure Katich would agree with that assessment either.

      Reply

    • Rev says:

      11:31am | 30/12/11

      I don’t think Katich has much claim to being a tough guy anymore, not with his little hissy fits in the media.

    • PW says:

      01:40pm | 30/12/11

      Cowan 76 and Warner 42 runs in Melbourne, both for 2 outs. Both well below Katich’s Test average of 45.

    • PW says:

      08:37am | 30/12/11

      Perhaps Anthony your problem is that we are now nowhere near the standard of the England team (or more correctly the England-South Africa team) at cricket, while we are competitive with India. Allow the poms their time in ascendency. No-one was suggesting the Ashes wasn’t the premier Test cricket contest when we were flogging England, so why start now?

      Reply

    • Al Johnston says:

      12:40pm | 30/12/11

      “Australia drew 1-1 with SA in SA and should have won 2-0.”

      But they didn’t. And who seriously believes a two-Test series proves anything?

      Good result for Sri Lanka but the series is not decided yet. I would rather see England, as dominant now as they were in the 1950s, play the current South African team, including as it does Steyn, Morkel, Philander, Boucher, Kallis, Smith and de Villiers. I’ll be at the SCG on Tuesday but it’s not exactly a battle for the world championship, is it?

      Suspect there might be a little reverse cultural cringe on your part, Anthony. Gotta show those Poms, etc. How tedious.

      Reply

    • hired goon says:

      11:41am | 04/01/12

      Has India ever won a test series away from home?

      Oh.

      Reply
 
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