Final Ashes Test: Pride and honour on the line
Clarke, Cook both determined to claim Oval’s dead rubber.
Clarke, Cook both determined to claim Oval’s dead rubber. PHOTO: AFP
LONDON:
Outgoing Australia captain Michael Clarke has said the Ashes series climax against England will be a test of his side’s character as they battle to restore some lost pride.
England, 3-1 up in the five-match contest, have already regained the Ashes following a pair of crushing victories at Edgbaston (eight wickets) and Trent Bridge (an innings and 78 runs) as Australia suffered first innings collapses and failed to adjust to the movement created by green, seaming pitches.
They can expect a similar surface in the fifth Test at The Oval starting Thursday, where Australia’s top order must somehow put the nightmare of their first innings 60 all-out, featuring England paceman Stuart Broad’s historic 8-15, in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge behind them.
England have never won four Tests in a home Ashes series and Clarke, who will retire from international cricket after the Oval match, is desperate that Australia avoid further embarrassment. “This Test is as much about our character as anything else,” said Clarke. “We need to play with that resilience and grit and determination and really fight as hard as we possibly can. The past couple of Tests in particular have only gone two-and-a-half days.”
Having looked at the pitch, Clarke — who won the toss and batted at Edgbaston but saw Australia inserted at Trent Bridge — was clear on the likely outcome at The Oval. “It’s going to be another really tough Test match for the batters,” he said. “Another Test match that, if you win the toss, you’re going to bowl first. It’s going to be a result wicket.”
The 34-year-old, plagued by back, and more recently, hamstring trouble for much of his career, said he would have no trouble adjusting to life after what will be, The Oval included, a run of 115 Tests.
“I think it is best that I have some time off; it is best for the team as well,” he said. “When you retire, you retire for a reason; there are some fresh ideas and some fresh energy from a lot of the young players.”
Clarke who has scored 8,628 Test runs, including 28 hundreds, added that now was not the time for reflection. “This week has been about being focused on this last Test match, so I haven’t looked backwards at all yet,” he added.
Cook wants England to be ruthless
England captain Alastair Cook, on the other hand, urged his side to be as ruthless as Australia had been when Clarke’s men won 5-0 in the last Ashes in 2013-14.
“Australia did it very well to us when they were 3-0 up,” he said. “They hammered us in the next two games.”
The skipper was also quick to praise star batsman Joe Root, who recently became the number one Test batsman in the world. “He’s improved leaps and bounds,” said Cook. “I’ve never seen a player improve like that.”
Cook believes England have handled the threat of Australian spearhead Mitchell Johnson better than what they did Down Under, where he claimed 37 wickets, and added that it may be down to the quick pace with which they have been getting their runs. “We’ve played him a bit better,” said Cook. “On the whole, we’ve played all their bowlers pretty well — and we’ve scored at a good rate. They haven’t managed to tie us down as well as we’ve managed to do with them.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 20th, 2015.
Outgoing Australia captain Michael Clarke has said the Ashes series climax against England will be a test of his side’s character as they battle to restore some lost pride.
England, 3-1 up in the five-match contest, have already regained the Ashes following a pair of crushing victories at Edgbaston (eight wickets) and Trent Bridge (an innings and 78 runs) as Australia suffered first innings collapses and failed to adjust to the movement created by green, seaming pitches.
They can expect a similar surface in the fifth Test at The Oval starting Thursday, where Australia’s top order must somehow put the nightmare of their first innings 60 all-out, featuring England paceman Stuart Broad’s historic 8-15, in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge behind them.
England have never won four Tests in a home Ashes series and Clarke, who will retire from international cricket after the Oval match, is desperate that Australia avoid further embarrassment. “This Test is as much about our character as anything else,” said Clarke. “We need to play with that resilience and grit and determination and really fight as hard as we possibly can. The past couple of Tests in particular have only gone two-and-a-half days.”
Having looked at the pitch, Clarke — who won the toss and batted at Edgbaston but saw Australia inserted at Trent Bridge — was clear on the likely outcome at The Oval. “It’s going to be another really tough Test match for the batters,” he said. “Another Test match that, if you win the toss, you’re going to bowl first. It’s going to be a result wicket.”
The 34-year-old, plagued by back, and more recently, hamstring trouble for much of his career, said he would have no trouble adjusting to life after what will be, The Oval included, a run of 115 Tests.
“I think it is best that I have some time off; it is best for the team as well,” he said. “When you retire, you retire for a reason; there are some fresh ideas and some fresh energy from a lot of the young players.”
Clarke who has scored 8,628 Test runs, including 28 hundreds, added that now was not the time for reflection. “This week has been about being focused on this last Test match, so I haven’t looked backwards at all yet,” he added.
Cook wants England to be ruthless
England captain Alastair Cook, on the other hand, urged his side to be as ruthless as Australia had been when Clarke’s men won 5-0 in the last Ashes in 2013-14.
“Australia did it very well to us when they were 3-0 up,” he said. “They hammered us in the next two games.”
The skipper was also quick to praise star batsman Joe Root, who recently became the number one Test batsman in the world. “He’s improved leaps and bounds,” said Cook. “I’ve never seen a player improve like that.”
Cook believes England have handled the threat of Australian spearhead Mitchell Johnson better than what they did Down Under, where he claimed 37 wickets, and added that it may be down to the quick pace with which they have been getting their runs. “We’ve played him a bit better,” said Cook. “On the whole, we’ve played all their bowlers pretty well — and we’ve scored at a good rate. They haven’t managed to tie us down as well as we’ve managed to do with them.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 20th, 2015.