The Ashes: First Test
Brisbane - 12.30pm Sky Sport 2
For Andrew Strauss the moment is nigh. He will walk out today at the ground with the oddest name in cricket - the Woolloongabba - and hope that it is the start of a march to glory. But he will know he will have the obstacle of Ricky Ponting in his path. "This is our turf," as the Australia captain boldly declared on Tuesday.
Soon after Strauss steps on to the Brisbane pitch, the Ashes series of 2010-11 will begin.
The toss may present Strauss with his first conundrum. If he wins it, dare he bowl? And if he bats, as he probably should, could a sporting pitch play into the opposition's hands? His only consolation is that Ricky Ponting, will be faced with the same dilemma.
The series may depend on individuals but the influence of the captains will be large. Strauss is seeking to join a group of men who have led England to Ashes triumph here - in the past 60 years that includes Len Hutton, Ray Illingworth, Mike Brearley and Mike Gatting. Ponting is seeking to avenge the defeat in England last year and to avoid the indignity of being the only Australian captain to lose the Ashes three times.
The atmosphere throughout Brisbane, doubtless assisted by the sudden invasion of thousands of English supporters, is tense.
It might be assumed that the occasion should be one for a last rousing call to arms by these two leaders. There will be no such thing.
"The speech before the first day of the last Ashes series was one of the least important things I had to do in the whole series," Strauss said on Tuesday. "Guys are ready to go, you don't need any inspirational, Churchillian words - they are ready and it is important if anything, that you are calming them down rather than rousing them at that stage."
Ponting, like Strauss, was deadly relaxed. He was like this four years ago when he had the Ashes to regain and led Australia to a 5-0 victory. But then he had a team of legends and now he has a side of journeymen. It would be a considerable triumph, no matter Australia's formidable home record. But then it would be formidable whoever prevails, such is the noble tradition with which this trophy is invested.
Ponting does not do romance, but he knows what the Ashes mean. "These sort of series are the ones you play for, no doubt about it," he said. And it counts that he is trying to win back the Ashes in Australia. "Absolutely, this is our turf. Especially here in Brisbane. We play great test cricket here and we have for a long time. It's never been about revenge - revenge is a pretty strong word. It's about us getting back to playing the level of cricket we're capable of." It's about revenge.
Both men have had their travails lately. Ponting, sensing at nearly 36 that the light will have to dwindle soon, has not made a hundred for 23 innings. Strauss has been similarly barren of centuries. His last was against Australia at Lord's last year. For England to prevail, Strauss has to do better. If Ponting cannot show his team the way - and the side's most reliable batsman of recent times, Michael Clarke, is still an uncertain starter - then he may be sliding down the other side more quickly than he thinks.
England have not won in this country for 23 years, Australia have lost only once here in 17. There is hardly a cigarette paper between the teams and anybody looking for matchwinners is taking a punt. Mitchell Johnson could lose a match as easily as win one; Graeme Swann is the world's No 1 spinner by right, but how he reacts when Australia come slugging at him will tell a big story.
The Brisbane pitch, on which Australia have not lost for 21 tests, looked deceptively green on Tuesday. But bowling first cannot be a realistic option given the history. Ponting has not put in the opposition since the 2005 test at Edgbaston, which Australia lost. On 29 occasions since, he has won the toss and on all 29 he has batted.
"One thing I know about test cricket is that, no matter what total you are chasing in the last innings, it is always hard to do," he said. "Scoreboard pressure always has a big say in run chases. The thing about batting first is that you inevitably get the chance to bat on the wicket when it is at its absolute best."
Strauss will be deeply reluctant to bowl, given the fate of two previous England captains here who did so. Hutton's team in 1954 conceded 601 and Nasser Hussain's, in 2001, 492. Could he bowl first? "If we think it is the best way of winning the game, yes, you can't be scared of making those decisions but have to see what the pitch is like on Thursday morning,"
nzherald.co.nz will have live scoring throughout the Ashes series.
- Independent
