The Ashes

[muppet]

Are England the best test team in cricket now?

3rd best behind South Africa and India after this series. This is the worst Australian side in god knows how many years they are shocking.

Are India not very inconsistent? Sachin never performs in the limelight says an Indian colleague of mine.  And the bowlers are only middling.

Are you sure your colleague isn't from Pakistan?

He is from Andhra Pradesh only. He talks like a Mayo football fan.

Our bowlers are worse than middling. Our spinners are above average though.

[AZOffaly]

Tendulkar has 51 Test Centuries. That's not bad in the 'limelight'. Who's this indian mate of yours?

[stephenite]

The team ethic of the Poms was impressive all summer, Broad goes home, Finn gets injured and Tremlett and Bresnan really took their chances well.

[seafoid]

Tendulkar has 51 Test Centuries. That's not bad in the 'limelight'. Who's this indian mate of yours?

How has Sachin been playing over the last 2 years? I know Dhoni has brought a bit of steel to be batting but I am told that the stars (and they are legends in India) blow hot and cold. Would Harbhajan Singh make it onto the England team?  How good are the other bowlers ?   This colleague  of mine was deadly serious. 

[AZOffaly]

Tendulkar is nearly 38, but he has just scored 146 against South Africa in the last test. Anyway, this comes from espncricinfo, a profile of him. maybe the last paragraph explains your friend's view somewhat.

*********************

Profile Sachin Tendulkar has been the most complete batsman of his time, the most prolific runmaker of all time, and arguably the biggest cricket icon the game has ever known. His batting is based on the purest principles: perfect balance, economy of movement, precision in stroke-making, and that intangible quality given only to geniuses: anticipation. If he doesn't have a signature stroke - the upright, back-foot punch comes close - it is because he is equally proficient at each of the full range of orthodox shots (and plenty of improvised ones as well) and can pull them out at will.

There are no apparent weaknesses in Tendulkar's game. He can score all around the wicket, off both front foot and back, can tune his technique to suit every condition, temper his game to suit every situation, and has made runs in all parts of the world in all conditions.

Some of his finest performances have come against Australia, the overwhelmingly dominant team of his era. His century as a 19-year-old on a lightning-fast pitch at the WACA is considered one of the best innings ever to have been played in Australia. A few years later he received the ultimate compliment from the ultimate batsman: Don Bradman confided to his wife that Tendulkar reminded him of himself.

Blessed with the keenest of cricket minds, and armed with a loathing for losing, Tendulkar set about doing what it took to become one of the best batsmen in the world. His greatness was established early: he was only 16 when he made his Test debut. He was hit on the mouth by Waqar Younis but continued to bat, in a blood-soaked shirt. His first Test hundred, a match-saving one at Old Trafford, came when he was 17, and he had 16 Test hundreds before he turned 25. In 2000 he became the first batsman to have scored 50 international hundreds, in 2008 he passed Brian Lara as the leading Test run-scorer, and in the years after, he went past 13,000 Test runs 30,000 international runs, and in 2010 became the first player to score 50 Test centuries.

He currently holds the record for most hundreds in both Tests and ODIs - remarkable, considering he didn't score his first ODI hundred till his 79th match. Incredibly, he retains a divine enthusiasm for the game, and he seems to be untouched by age: at 36 years and 306 days he broke a 40-year-old barrier by scoring the first double-century in one-day cricket. It now seems inevitable that he will become the first cricketer to score 100 international hundreds, which like Bradman's batting average, could be a mark that lasts for ever.

Tendulkar's considerable achievements seem greater still when looked at in the light of the burden of expectations he has had to bear from his adoring but somewhat unreasonable followers, who have been prone to regard anything less than a hundred in each innings as a failure. The aura may have dimmed, if only slightly, as the years on the international circuit have taken their toll on the body, but Tendulkar remains, by a distance, the most worshipped cricketer in the world. Sambit Bal

[seafoid]

Tendulkar is nearly 38, but he has just scored 146 against South Africa in the last test. Anyway, this comes from espncricinfo, a profile of him. maybe the last paragraph explains your friend's view somewhat.

*********************

Profile Sachin Tendulkar has been the most complete batsman of his time, the most prolific runmaker of all time, and arguably the biggest cricket icon the game has ever known. His batting is based on the purest principles: perfect balance, economy of movement, precision in stroke-making, and that intangible quality given only to geniuses: anticipation. If he doesn't have a signature stroke - the upright, back-foot punch comes close - it is because he is equally proficient at each of the full range of orthodox shots (and plenty of improvised ones as well) and can pull them out at will.

There are no apparent weaknesses in Tendulkar's game. He can score all around the wicket, off both front foot and back, can tune his technique to suit every condition, temper his game to suit every situation, and has made runs in all parts of the world in all conditions.

Some of his finest performances have come against Australia, the overwhelmingly dominant team of his era. His century as a 19-year-old on a lightning-fast pitch at the WACA is considered one of the best innings ever to have been played in Australia. A few years later he received the ultimate compliment from the ultimate batsman: Don Bradman confided to his wife that Tendulkar reminded him of himself.

Blessed with the keenest of cricket minds, and armed with a loathing for losing, Tendulkar set about doing what it took to become one of the best batsmen in the world. His greatness was established early: he was only 16 when he made his Test debut. He was hit on the mouth by Waqar Younis but continued to bat, in a blood-soaked shirt. His first Test hundred, a match-saving one at Old Trafford, came when he was 17, and he had 16 Test hundreds before he turned 25. In 2000 he became the first batsman to have scored 50 international hundreds, in 2008 he passed Brian Lara as the leading Test run-scorer, and in the years after, he went past 13,000 Test runs 30,000 international runs, and in 2010 became the first player to score 50 Test centuries.

He currently holds the record for most hundreds in both Tests and ODIs - remarkable, considering he didn't score his first ODI hundred till his 79th match. Incredibly, he retains a divine enthusiasm for the game, and he seems to be untouched by age: at 36 years and 306 days he broke a 40-year-old barrier by scoring the first double-century in one-day cricket. It now seems inevitable that he will become the first cricketer to score 100 international hundreds, which like Bradman's batting average, could be a mark that lasts for ever.

Tendulkar's considerable achievements seem greater still when looked at in the light of the burden of expectations he has had to bear from his adoring but somewhat unreasonable followers, who have been prone to regard anything less than a hundred in each innings as a failure. The aura may have dimmed, if only slightly, as the years on the international circuit have taken their toll on the body, but Tendulkar remains, by a distance, the most worshipped cricketer in the world. Sambit Bal

Thanks for that, AZ. In India all the players are lionised by the press. I used to read the Hindustan Times and Rahul Dravid was portrayed as a god. Same for Harbhajan and Sachin Sehwag, Laxman and the rest.  I used to think as a team they could beat anyone just from what I had read. 

The country goes into a frenzy any time there is a tournament.  But deep down the confidence is very flaky. That is the impression I had.

[leaveherinsir]

The team ethic of the Poms was impressive all summer, Broad goes home, Finn gets injured and Tremlett and Bresnan really took their chances well.

Some of the stats were very impressive from English perspective!
Cook had the most minutes in the middle in Ashes history, and the second highest English total against Australia
3 innings victories, first time that ever happened to Australia
Prior hit the fastest ever Ashes ton
Highest ever score with that 644 also

Probably a combination of good English play and poor Australian team, its a pity it wasnt more like the Ashes of 2005. Some of those games were unreal, 5 days going down to the last ball. Got me interested in cricket
[/list]

[Boycey]

The team ethic of the Poms was impressive all summer, Broad goes home, Finn gets injured and Tremlett and Bresnan really took their chances well.

Some of the stats were very impressive from English perspective!
Cook had the most minutes in the middle in Ashes history, and the second highest English total against Australia
3 innings victories, first time that ever happened to Australia
Prior hit the fastest ever Ashes ton
Highest ever score with that 644 also

Probably a combination of good English play and poor Australian team, its a pity it wasnt more like the Ashes of 2005. Some of those games were unreal, 5 days going down to the last ball. Got me interested in cricket
[/list]

Some of the stats coming out of the series are astonishing but its hard to get a grasp on how good England are as Australia were awful. A summer series against India will be a bigger test (hope to get a couple of days of the Lords test in all going well) pity its only a three test series.

[Aerlik]

the great thing to come out of this is that the English are far enough away for me to not have to thole their bragging and the aussies did so shite that we will not be listening about how wonderful Aus cricket it.  Winner on both counts.

[Seamroga in exile]

the great thing to come out of this is that the English are far enough away for me to not have to thole their bragging and the aussies did so shite that we will not be listening about how wonderful Aus cricket it.  Winner on both counts.

I agree. Only one thing as bad as a whingeing pom is a gloating Aussie.

[deiseach]

Probably a combination of good English play and poor Australian team, its a pity it wasnt more like the Ashes of 2005. Some of those games were unreal, 5 days going down to the last ball. Got me interested in cricket

Ditto. Every ball was a fecking funeral. Still, you'd never be happy with hurling if you always wanted it to be as good as the 2009 All-Ireland final or the the 2004 Munster final

[RealSpiritof98]

i enjoy a bit of cricket, England 3-1

Aussies were stuffed, Morgan to destroy them in the 1 dayers as well, sad he didn't get a run other than a sub fielder.

I hate not backing my predictions.

[seafoid]

It's great to see Eoin Morgan doing well
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/jan/13/eoin-morgan-england-twenty20


Paul Collingwood hails 'special' Eoin Morgan after Twenty20 display• Irishman scored 43 runs in narrow victory over Australia
• 'He showed his class again,' said England's T20 captain

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  Press Association guardian.co.uk, Thursday 13 January 2011 10.50 GMT Article history
Eoin Morgan strikes the ball during England's Twenty20 win over Australia in Adelaide yesterday. Photograph: Gareth Copley/PA

Paul Collingwood, England's Twenty20 captain, has described Eoin Morgan as a "special talent" after he furthered his growing reputation in yesterday's one-wicket win over Australia in Adelaide.

While debutant Chris Woakes stole the limelight after holding his nerve to hit the winning run from the final ball, it was Morgan's composed 43 from 33 balls that formed the foundation of the chase. The left-hander had spent the majority of England's tour in Australia cooling his heels on the sidelines – he had faced just 17 balls in two months – but there was little sign of rustiness in yesterday's opening T20 encounter between the two sides.

"Morgs has been superb in Twenty20 and one-day cricket," Collingwood said. "We probably keep leaving it up to him a bit too much if we are honest, but he showed his class again.

"He's been waiting in the wings and is very patient but when it comes to this form of the game he's a special talent."

[Aerlik]

Where do the England cricket team players stay when they visit South Africa?





With their parents.

[Hound]

Some of the stats were very impressive from English perspective!
Cook had the most minutes in the middle in Ashes history, and the second highest English total against Australia
3 innings victories, first time that ever happened to Australia
Prior hit the fastest ever Ashes ton
Highest ever score with that 644 also

Probably a combination of good English play and poor Australian team, its a pity it wasnt more like the Ashes of 2005. Some of those games were unreal, 5 days going down to the last ball. Got me interested in cricket

Not fastest ever.
Fastest since Botham.