The Hindu : Sport : England needs to come out swinging

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 21, 2005

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England needs to come out swinging

By Steve Waugh

The time for talking is over. There has been plenty of that from both teams and their coaches but once the members take their customary seats at the home of cricket there will be no place to hide and only actions will count. England go into the Lord's Test with enormous expectations and deservedly so but in the back of each player's mind will be the knowledge that this is the real deal and the performances here will be the ones on which they will ultimately be judged.

Many have said that this is a heavyweight title bout between the two top-ranked teams in world cricket - and it may well turn out to be a series worthy of top billing, but only if England come out swinging in the first session. They need to play with real purpose and intent, accompanied by positive body language and a gameplan that is proactive rather than merely active. If they sit back and believe that they have the luxury of feeling their way into the match, Australia will sense their apprehension and look to dominate and disorientate them by being ultra-aggressive which in turn will set the tome for the entire series.

Individual brilliance

Both sides have a genuine sense of team and an enjoyment in achieving as a unit, which make them formidable in testing times and difficult to break down, so the end result may come from individual brilliance, an area in which both sides are well-served.

To my mind, England have three match winners in Andrew Flintoff, the `white West Indian' Steve Harmison, and skipper Michael Vaughan, while Australia have at least half-a-dozen, but the standout is Adam Gilchrist, who has single-handedly influenced more matches in the modern era than any other player.

England will take great comfort from knowing that they have a bowler capable of both intimidation and strike power in Harmison, who can produce decisive spells that enable the other bowlers to slip into his jet stream and form a dangerous alliance. But he needs to take 30 wickets if he wants to help England regain the Ashes from a squad of Australian players yet to taste Ashes defeat.

Flintoff's performance

Flintoff's performance will bear a direct correlation to his team's fortunes and as such he will be targeted by Australia with aggressive body language and positive play. If he has the temperament to match his ability the comparisons with Ian Botham will surely flow, but in reality it's a big ask and the jury is out as to whether or not the task is too daunting.

The class batsman in the English line-up is their captain, who to my knowledge is the only player to have repelled the McGrath nomination as his intended target for a series, which says a lot about his nerve for the big occasion. He will need to score 500-plus runs to lead the younger, inexperienced players and allow himself the luxury of making clear decisions with a confident frame of mind in the delicate moments of a game that will present themselves.

Lee unleashed

The Aussies have ammunition all over the park but two guys are especially desperate for success as they both know the anguish of being on the periphery and are hungry to make up for lost opportunities - Brett Lee and Simon Katich. Lee has been let off the leash and won't take a backward step. In my mind he looms as a major threat with his raw pace and lethal outswing, while Katich has a steel-trap mind primed for long stints at the crease and a rock solid technique to back it up.

Not surprisingly, though, Gilchrist will be the man England fear, for he is unaffected by pressure or expectations and thrives in the big match theatre. Considering the first Test is at the home of cricket, the stage is set for the great cricketers to excel. I for one can't wait to see the action unfold. — Gameplan

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