What a difference a month makes
Less than a month ago Australia were on the very top of the, erm, cricketing perch and by some margin as well. Having thrashed England in the Ashes, they had continued their form in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy by dishing it out in the one day version of the game to both England and Australia newcomers New Zealand. In fact, Australia looked as good (and unstoppable) as they have done in quite some time. Well it’s all change at the moment, with Australia being royally stuffed by New Zealand in the first match of the Chappell-Hadlee series in New Zealand. It was a whooping with proportions of which Australia have never before experienced. And whilst that last sentence is a horrific Yoda-ism, it is nonetheless true, by way of being the first time Australia have ever lost by 10 wickets. That’s right - TEN WHOLE WICKETS.
It’s time for all England, heck, any non-Australian fans to be very pleased. So long have cricket teams been punished for their non-Antipodean ways (New Zealand excepted) but for now at least, times are changing. Australia have now lost the last 4 out of 5 one day games, 3 times at the hands of England, once at New Zealand. And New Zealand have the opportunity to give Australia their second series defeat on the trot.
No doubt I sound like a very smug git right now. Well, it’s true. I am. For a number of reasons. Firstly, it ought to offer some perspective to all those people who dismissed England’s performances as not being in part attributable to the long list of injuries. Australia are currently playing without some key players, such as Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds (not to mention the recent retirements). When England suffered a similar fate, the majority of critics came out saying “England should do better, despite the injuries”. Well it’s good to see the same problems afflict teams such as Australia. Secondly, it’s great to see Australia lose. Whilst Australia were thrashing England in the Ashes, any Australian fan was only too quick to dish it out to the “pommie” fans that England sucked. And it’s true, we did suck. But in Australia losing, it reassures us of the fact that even the best teams are not infallible which, ahead of the World Cup, is an important thing of which to be reminded. It really opens the whole competition up, which is exactly what was needed.
Despite their recent run of bad form, however, Australia are still undeniably favourites for the World Cup. Even if they lose the remaining two matches against New Zealand, you still feel like they’re going to get to the final of the World Cup. Australia are still the best team in the World, but the recent run of bad form will affect them. They have the ability to bounce back, as they did from the Ashes defeat in 2005. It does of course expose the considerable changes that have been made to the side following the recent retirements and that an injury here and there, from which they’ve been remarkably immune, can bring the best side in the world down.
It just got interesting.
Tags: Australia, australia-lose, England, new-zealand, One-Day-cricket, World-Cup-2007Related Stories
POSTED IN: Cricket
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