Opposites attract, so suggests the well worn theory. Nothing illustrates this better perhaps than the Ashes rivalry that draws England and Australia together.
These two proud nations were set on an eternal collision course the day Captain Cook, the sailor not the current England opener, stepped foot on Terra Australis in 1770. Australia has sought one-upmanship over the 'Mother Country' ever since and the cricket field has proven to be perhaps the biggest leveller of all when it comes to blows with England. Latterly, Shane Warne sought to expand these horizons beyond the oval, often preferring the world of SMS and a London hotel to play out his own contretemps with the English.
This current Ashes series has given us the generally courteous and polite Poms. England has adopted a say-nothing policy toward its Australian counterparts. No soundbites, no public criticism of its opponent for the press to seize on. Australia, by contrast, decided it wanted to chirp and listen to the sound of its own voice months out from the start of the test series.
Shane Watson told us, confidently, England wouldn't be able to bowl on Australian pitches with the Kookaburra ball. Mitchell Johnson informed Andrew Strauss that he would be targeted as his bunny and Justin Langer latterly suggested England would regret taunting Phil Hughes about his batting deficiencies.
Not exactly out of character for either side. This time, however, the Poms were inwardly confident both in its ability and preparation. Galvanised by its leadership team of the two Andrews, Flower and Strauss, coach and captain, it has gone about its work with quiet efficiency and fortitude. England appreciates all too readily the failures of the last twenty-four years to take any other approach. Better to keep your mouth shut until you have the runs on the board.
Following the loss of the Ashes on home soil in 1986/7, Australia built a dynasty of cricketers that were highly talented, tough, brash and confident. Living legends of the game emerged in the form of Alan Border, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Glenn McGrath and, of course, Warne. There were many others too who were highly talented. It seemed that the line was endless. These were cricketers who could say what they liked, confident they could back it up on the field almost at will. Sadly for Australia and the current generation of cricketers, it has not quite come to terms with the en-masse departure of such talent and the cloak of invincibility they took with them. Australian players still persist with the chirp, the digs and the verbal diarrhoea that flows into the press, all of which is now beginning to make it look rather silly. It is one thing to be positive, but another to talk plain rubbish. It is a habit Australia quickly needs to put back in the closet for the time being.
In a summer where the balance of power has clearly shifted in favour of a vibrant England side, why has the demise of the Australians, more often than not, been the headline grabber? England's cricket has largely spoken for itself. It has been well organised, consistent (with the exception of Perth) and generally of high quality. In other words, repetitive. Unlike the ragged England teams of old, its current team doesn't court controversy, selection has been almost too simple and it hasn't self imploded. Essentially, it has just been about the cricket and good cricket at that. Sadly, it doesn't make for interesting headlines in this media saturated world to continually write about another England hundred by Cook or Jimmy Anderson swinging the ball past well worn Australian edges.
In stark contrast, Cricket Australia has literally stuck a kick-me note on its backside and invited all and sundry to sink the boot in on a daily basis. Starting with an embarrassing loss to Sri-Lanka in the short one-day series preceding the Ashes, Australia quickly followed this up with a confused and farcical squad selection for the first Test. Thereafter it snowballed. Xavier Doherty was picked and dropped almost without trace, Marcus North's tenure was a constant question, Michael Beer a pick of desperation. Australian self destruction was complete when its obdurate captain Ricky Ponting and, presumably, the selectors, decided the number three batsman should play with a broken finger in the Boxing Day test at Melbourne. Batting with such restriction would be a tricky task even in backyard cricket and so it was almost cruel to watch Ponting struggling to get the ball off the square in the biggest arena of them all at the MCG. Ponting infamously compounded a personally dire summer with his graceless blow-up as he disputed an unsuccessful review.
Dare we call an England side winning in Australia (for the first time in twenty-four years) dull? Andrew Strauss will not mind the lack of headlines one bit for it was all part of a well conceived and executed plan. The urn is packed away in his suitcase for safe keeping until these two old foes clash again. Chalk and cheese it has been but it makes for the best of relationships really.
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