Australia sets the Brisbane on fire; the inferno was the result of over pumped up team of eleven which was way beyond the Britons fire extinguisher to contain. Hell yeah! Ashes is here. Was England overconfidence cost them is a premature assumption to make and even if they then that can’t be a single most factor of their utter subjugation. Signal is clear and England needs to take it seriously. For a brief intermission they can have chilled bear and then get back to business.
It is a bit of a surprise for those who safely bet the series in favour of England. But the 381 drubbing of English team has en route the course of the series towards the host side. Calling anyone favourites is still a premature stance. It was not a victory but complete annihilation by Australia that can be attributed to the collection of forces that were at play on all the four days. Media, experts, commentators and players all on their toes, each one with an allocated task, in a tacit agreement looked a comprehensive union with a mission to resurrect Australian glory and hegemony in Word cricket.
Australian media took the initiative in their own idiosyncratic way of singling out players from the tourist teams with this time aimed at Cook and Pietersen (remember they have done with Tendulkar in the past with no success); pedantic and critique in an unusual way, Mr Chappell target was elegant and fluent Trott (later on pugnacious Warner too joins the veteran); commentators in their own conventional way setting the wrong right, beautifully biased, exploiting all their communication skills in extolling the Kangaroo players.
It was a clear cut plan by Aussies that was enforced to full potential with hazardous result for England. Australia was back to their old day’s style of display on field. The banter was back, the spar and occasional tiff on field used tactfully to unsettle the touring boys. Heat is on. The crowds followed their normal ritual of flooding boos that tested the outfielders. Short leg, leg slip and leg gully when in place, then you know the bodyline attack is back to haunt the batsmen. Bowlers chugged in hard in synchronisation with the swift forward movement of fielders invading the British territory with a clear intent of pre-emption and destruction.
The bounce was conspicuous and Gabba has the reputation of assisting bowlers on first two days followed by being a batsmen bunny for rest of the days. Some serious ripper of the chin music was felt across the globe by the cricket fraternity; bulky Harris, muscular Siddle and macho Mitch Johnson looked a holy trinity that did the job for captain Pup. Warner act as a surgeon for Trott disease and Mitch emerged as the gladiator, Pup sublime century continues his dream run (he looked a calm rower in turbulent waters), hard working and no nonsense Siddle, rebellion Haddin, innocuous Lyon was sharp and subtle; altogether Oz looked a formidable team to beat. In the hindsight of these plays of powerful forces England demise was inevitable.
England utter subjugation without any intent to fight is a cause of concern for Cook and management. They have been psychologically decimated by Australia. Right now they seem to be caught in an Australian labyrinth and to dismantle this network they have to identify the nodes of strength and weakness; and then knocking them off one by one.
England is equally resourceful and they have brains too. Aren’t the British isle is famous for castle. They can build one for Australia.
Down under, heat is on. As you know, Ashes is here.