Pre Ashes Thread

[ravishingravi]

Even though the quality of the India-Aus matches are higher than the quality of the Aus-Eng matches, there is something about the Ashes which makes it the most important to Aus. After that India is the next most important. I'm not too sure I agree with what he's saying though, coming home having beaten India in their own turf would of given us a big lift I would of thought.

You think Aus. have a chance this time ?

[vvvslaxman]

I don't know about Australian batting. But their bowling unit is superb. Very aggressive bowling unit. On their day they can destroy any batting line up. They just have to bite the bullet and get rid of some useless players like North. He is so weak against spin not to mention against moving ball.

[Fontaine]

I don't know about Australian batting. But their bowling unit is superb. Very aggressive bowling unit. On their day they can destroy any batting line up. They just have to bite the bullet and get rid of some useless players like North. He is so weak against spin not to mention against moving ball.

A lot will depend on Mitchell Johnson. You know Hilf/Bollinger will do their consistent best but Johnson has the x-factor in terms of his pace and left arm ability. If he has a mediocre series then I can't see how Australia win considering their spin options are so weak.

[Precambrian]

Hahaha so losing one series is good because it will help in focussing on the next one??? I am looking forward to seeing the "Ashes" - a battle between world. no.4 and 5... the only uncertainty being who'll be 4 and who'll be 5...

[patriot]

I enjoy Ashes more than India vs Australia: Ponting. http://cricket.ndtv.com/AUSININD10/news_story.aspx?ID=INTEN20100155671&keyword=news

NDTV: You mentioned the Ashes, it is very often mentioned that the India-Australia match has become bigger than the Ashes. Is that how you see it or are they two different ball games? Ricky: They are two different challenges there is no doubt about that. But as an Australian I really enjoy the Ashes and I think the England players would say that. They probably like that series more than any other. We are lucky at the moment that we have got South Africa, England and India. We got great rivalry against all those sides. It seems like every Test match we play or every series we play is almost as same as the other one. You know the last Test we played is one of the all time greats and we got other Test matches coming up in Australia this year.

[Deleted_User_1]

Nothing wrong about this opinion.

[EnterTheVoid]

Not difficult to understand why ---- (Australia being a FORMER British colony, the British sending their convicts/thugs/prisoners here because there was no space for them in their jails etc etc)

[patriot]

Ian Botham: The more Aussies lose before Ashes, the better. Afridi : India was very lucky to win in Mohali http://www.cricketcrowd.com/displayvideo.html?ccvideo=3799&ccdesc=Greatest%20Indian%20win%20has%20Zaheer%20and%20Botham%20sticking%20it%20to%20Aussies%20%28Mohali%29 India very lucky to scrap win in Mohali : Afridi LAHORE: Pakistan one-day and Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi has said that the 1st Test match at Mohali between India and Australia was great for test cricket. “It was a great test match, one of the best I have seen as spectator. I think in the end Australians lacked a quality spinner necessary to win in Asian pitches. Myself, Saqi and Dani have won tests in India. You can say Indians were very lucky that they didn't have to face a quality spinner†he said on Saturday. Afridi also spoke highly about the team management and added that in a hostile situation in England, they did their best to calm down the situation and remained a source of inspiration for the team members. “It was not an easy tour. It was a tour which I will always remember in my career as things happened too fast against the Pakistan team at a neutral venue as such never happened before in the past,†he said. The Pakistan captain said the team received a big support from its management and Yawar and Shafqat did their best as far as their job was concerned. APP

[Guest Gunner]

Sounds perfectly reasonable considering the 100+ years of history and rivalry.

[Precambrian]

Yeah Afridi > Warne...

[EnterTheVoid]

I have the DVD of the Adelaide Ashes Test, the one where England choked on the final day after scoring 500 odd in the first innings. You should have seen Botham's face, looks like he's going to cry.

[vvvslaxman]

Afridi.. you are lucky to play cricket :cantstop:

[EnterTheVoid]

Botham is tool. England lost the Ashes 5 - 0, the first ashes whitewash in what, 80 (?) odd years.

[vvvslaxman]

but i enjoy India vs Australia more than other contests coz they are the one who don't give up early in a Test match. Even Saffers do give up once they look like they are going to lose. Same with Engerland.

[vamos_rafa]

Lollz... Afretard won just a single test match and that was more because of the defensive mindset that the Indians employed and he's talking as if he put the world on fire. As for beefy's comments,if Austraila play 90% of the way they did in Mohali ,they are gonna ass rape the poms. I think the English are either taking Aussies too lightly or they are so damn afraid of the results that they are trying to calm down the atmosphere for themselves.

[Hindustani]

It is 100+ year rivalry, Ashes it is at totally different level

[Mamu]

The only positive is even Engerland is playing like crap these days, with Peterson out of form. Add to that Anderson and Broad look lost when the sun is shining.

[vamos_rafa]

Fair enough. India-Australia though have played great test matches but still the rivalry thing is a bit too modern. Ashes is important more so because of the tradition ,although unlike before,the quality of matches have albeit improved a bit

[triam]

Natural to like something you succeed in...

[Karan114]

Much as I have loved India-Australia for the last 10-12 years, the Ashes has so much history behind it that for Eng and Aus players it will always be the big one, so Punter's comments are reasonable in this instance.