From the editor’s desk

Ashes 2023- a spectacle waiting to unfold

With the World Test Championship (WTC) under their belt, the Australian team is raring to take on the might of the English team for the historic Ashes 2023. This contest will also begin the next cycle of Test championship for both Australia and England sides. As of now experts are saying that chances for the series victory are equal for both the teams.

While Australia has perhaps a more balanced team in terms of both batting and bowling, England will have the home advantage. And if history is anything to go by, Australia has not won a test series in England for the last 22 years. This is a record which might tumble this time, as the Australian team is all geared up after defeating a strong Indian side in the WTC final recently. The spectacular performance of the Australian team, led by a determined Pat Cummins, and a resilient Steve Smith may well be replicated against the English side as well. But the World Test Championship was played in a different spirit. Ashes has always been a different kind of test of endurance and power; the team that shows perseverance has always had the better chance of winning. And the Australian side is all buoyed up and will take on any side in world cricket as its confidence is skyrocketing being the champion side that it has now become.

However, defeating England on English soil won’t be a cake walk by any stretch of imagination. Ben Stokes has always been highly competitive when it comes to his personal cricket and that of his team. He will obviously leave no stone unturned to defeat the Aussie side.

The English side is quite exciting, with Stokes at the helm, and Joe Root bringing the balance and stability to batting with his experience and skills. Harris Brook is an exciting player to watch, and under head coach Brendon McCullum, the English side is known to play fearless cricket. It is McCullum’s philosophy to play to win, and play without any fear of losing the game. This makes the English side difficult to tame, and can upset the plans of the world champions. The Australian side must therefore leave aside any room for complacency. On paper they may be the world champions, but it is now a fresh start to the next round of Test championship contest, and therefore it calls for another kind of mindset and a fresh challenge.

The Australian side will look towards Steve Smith to provide solidity in the middle order. David Warner may have problems against Anderson and Stuart Broad’s attack. Anderson on his day can swing the ball prodigiously unleashing unplayable balls at times, and sometimes with uncanny frequency. But Travis Head will be all pumped up after his century in the WTC final match against India. He can devastate any attack in a Test match and has now won that reputation for Australia. Scott Boland has done his reputation no harm in the WTC final and might find himself in the final eleven against England. The duo of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc can rattle any opposition.

All in all, a fascinating contest on the cards and the crowd will get the entertainment worth the money it will have spent on the tickets. This is the contest that the cricket fans wait for and it has always produced history-making records one way or the other. As the teams struggle for supremacy, cricket will be the winner all along. It is, therefore as much a battle on the field, as it is off the field. The team which will have a better control over its nerves will prevail. The cricket fans in England, unlike soccer fans, are very knowledgeable and gentle. They understand the game better than any other crowd in the world, and know how to appreciate the game of cricket no matter which side is on the top. The real entertainment of Test cricket lies in perseverance will a skillful performance.

All departments of the gamebatting, bowling, fielding and wicket keeping are a spectacle to watch. An outstanding catch will get the adrenalin going, and the crowd feels the vibrations raising among them, as much as it does on the field where the spectacle unfolds. And this is what cricket is all about, go and express yourself and in the process enjoy the game and the setting it is played in.