staring down the barrel ???

51018, originally uploaded by kartik kannan.

Seeing australia now is like a wounded anoconda coiling itself up to prevent itself from further damage.It is not anymore interested in the adventurous risks that steve waugh's men used to indulge in ...in the name of playing for a a victory.They were adventurous to the extent that they let their instincts chase chase 384 against india in 70 odd overs on a final day eden garden's wicket ...and that was the star of the myth that the aussies can be busted ...and the second jolt came to the aussies in kangarooland when the Indians drew level and the australian bowlers were pumelled by the likes of dravid,sehwag,laxman,sachin and of course ganguly ...

Now this myth that peak australia can be conquered used to do the rounds whenever the aussies lost a dead rubber (when the West indians rallied to chase 422 against the aussies after aussies won the first three tests )...and slowly but steadily ...the law of avereages seems to have atleast slowed them down , if not catch up with them.


The ashes for the first time is competitive in so mnay years after having grown up seeing gooch,atherton stewart ,hussain fail miserably against the giants in yellow...and its competitive simply because england have not only worked out their strategy well but have also maintained the pressure on the aussies ...thereby not allowing the wounded aussies to come back.


I just love to see the aussies actually in a situation where their backs are to the wall and they have to avoid defeat by drawing test matches...

but in reality are the aussies really staring down the barrell ..... i guess a little deeper analysis with the numbers ...reveals that england have actually not played to their potetial when they were supposed to mop up both the games , allowing it too close for comfort...


What if harmison had not bowled that super dooper bouncer to kasprowics...would england still retain the same fire in their bellies ...thats something worth asking ...but anyway now that england have overcome that mental barrier.... they just have to learn to close it in against the aussies to make a match of it .

so at the end of typing this little piece which started off with burlesqueing the aussies ...i belive that for all that ashes has shown till now ..may just not be the same for the remaining tests ...as we know the wounded tiger australia's reslience in bouncing back in true champion fashion.

whatever happens the cricket lover is in for a treat unless u happen to be marooned in chennai without a SET TOP BOX