---ASHESLORE- Tales In England---New England UpROOTing Dad’s Army ?

Of all the one liners I have scripted (heading or otherwise) I feel no greater satisfaction than having thought of the above title. (It has nothing to do with the wordplay).

These five letters have, in essence, described what I hope to describe in, say, 500 odd words.

We all know England had caught the New Zealand disease of playing aggressive cricket reasonably consistently even if that was in greater show during the limited overs format.

It does help when their identified talents and emerging players like Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler are in good nick and have started to slowly carve their own niche in the team and influence the outcome of the game even more.

 Australia has decided to enter a new era with old players. Hence the term dad’s army.

As far as I recollect smith is the only batsmen playing who is under 26 years of age.

However I digress. What I am going to say was thought of well before and the first test has confirmed it. It is the basis for my analysis.

The point of this article is plain and simple- it is not as bad for England as one thinks. I feel they have more than a chance wining the ashes. There are 3 reasons. One reason is obviously home conditions and support.

The other reason is a combination of various factors.

 Even with the no. 1 batsman in the team Australia’s batting line-up is not scoring as much as it should. Heck, Hazlewood plays with a straighter bat than Watson. The bottom five on numerous occasions have scored the same if not more number of runs as the top six (minus smith). If England can prepare pitches similar to that against the new Zealand series the Australian top order will get under pressure. Suffice to say Australia’s batting is not as secure as the scorecard shows.

The first test at Cardiff was* crucial. Though termed slow, ball still is conventionally swinging pretty much throughout the day and it is turning reasonably and has variable bounce. As of now England have rattled Australia.* If England win ( more than likely) they can rattle Australia. They can shock them. Usually we see in 5 test match series the team which wins first gets that needed momentum which is very important.

Alistair Cook has started batting almost close to his best. He now faces a different problem. Previously he led mainly through example and hard graft. After returning to the squad after the ODIs cook must feel like a guest who is arriving to a raucous night part quite late. The youngsters ( relatively) are the forerunners for proactive game and how he develops the attacking spirit brought in from Eoin Morgan is a defining moment. He did signal his intent by trying to play aggressively but in vain. Aggressive batting is not Cook. It need not be. You need a grafter amidst stroke-makers. Cook’s role is to encourage stroke makers play without fear. If they do so Australia will be challenged.As he himself says, that it will be a different challenge to lead this bubbly team. A good challenge.

moeanalitharan?

Moeen Ali. Opponents underestimate him. Opponents try to hit him out of the attack. Opponents starts aggressively and hit boundaries. Opponents get carried away. Opponents lose wicket. They change his name to Moeenalitharan. Smith, Clarke, Haddin etc.Whew!!! Not to mention that he must be the best no. 8 batsman to play as of now.

Stokes. Probably the most promising allrounder since Botham and Filntoff. His attitude of playing fire with fire will create fissures in the Australian team. Coming of a wonderful series against the black caps he has learnt the art of mixing aggression with consistency. Watch out Australia.

Mark Wood and Jos Buttler are the dark horses whose careers will get a big boost with a commendable Ashes performance. They have impressed everyone. Jos buttler is due a big knock. He averages 50 without having hit a century. Wood has impressed everyone with his pace and attitude.

The old pros- partners in crime Anderson and broad are vital in this series. One has passed 400 and the other is approaching 300. Though not having pace to match their Australian counterparts, they make it up with their guile.

Bell and Ballance on current form and to some extent Lyth (on his first ashes series) look vulnerable.  Underestimate them at your own peril. Ballance has had a wonderful career so far. However I feel Australia and in particular Starc will test his lack of feet movement by bowling those full swinging deliveries. Despite being short on confidence and runs he made 61 in the first innings without looking assured at any stage. But he did make those runs.

the likely hero?

All said and done it is Joe Root who will have a defining impact on this series. He is the glue in the middle order. Joe Root got first hundred of this series which he hopes is the first of the many. His attacking cricket has rubbed of others. He, though young in years has shown maturity beyond it and knows that however successful he was in the preceding months, Ashes is ultimately the barometer on the basis of which he gets judged on. He has had a good start, expected but ominous for the Aussies.

All these seems a to be far-fetched guess... Deductive reasoning (ahem) but these are signs which I noticed. For all we know Starc will produce toe crushers, Johnson will again come in nightmares of the English players. Bowlers will take legal action against Smith for scoring heavily.

For all we know.

But I still say England is winning this one. I can’t predict the margin. But they will.

It is because of the third reason. Gut Feeling.

All right you can snort. We will see after two months.

Maybe that’s why you should've have just read the title.

Brad Haddin in the pre-ashes coverage once said he did not understand what the hype around England was.

 I don't really understand the hype around that one-day Series. We'd just come off a World Cup. I don't understand what the excitement is about, and what this new found form England found in that format.  if you could explain to me what it is.

Brad, have New England explained to you what the hype is about in Cardiff? I hope so.

* this analysis has been written during the fourth day of the Investec Ashes series between Australia and England