The Hindu : Sport : Something special is happening in England

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 20, 2005

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Something special is happening in England

PETER ROEBUCK

Hold the back page! Hold the front page! Hold every damn page! Something special is happening here. Of course it has been the best series ever played. Well, the best in the last quarter of a century anyhow. Allow a bit of room for journalistic licence. Of course it is not over yet, hardly half way through. Always risky to judge a play with the female interest tied up, the hero languishing in jail and two reels remaining.

So far so good

Australia could still win at Trent Bridge and romp to a 3-1 victory. So far, though, so very good. Beyond dispute this Ashes confrontation has been wonderful as a ferocious and desperate challenger suffers an early fall, rises to his feet, shrugs off the blow and in this moment of revelation, launches the sort of counterattack needed to convince observers that, far from being over, the fight has just begun.

Epic duels

Amongst series played in the last 25 years, only the epics in the West Indies and India bear comparison with the fury of this contest. Curiously Australia did not win either series.

In the Caribbean, Brian Lara produced a brilliant sustained display of batting. On the subcontinent Very Very Special Laxman played the innings of his life as his team recovered from a heavy defeat and the humiliation of a follow-on to win a match at Eden Gardens. India took the series, too, scraping home in a tight finish at Chennai. It was noisy, exciting, exhausting and glorious.

Having seen every ball of those matches, having watched the ground filling on the fifth day in Barbados as news spread that Lara was moving, having heard the cacophony in Kolkata as Australian wickets fell, I can confirm that these present encounters have surpassed even those memorable confrontations.

Sellout match

Lord's was the start of it, the ground a picture, the pitch fast, every ticket sold and expectations through the roof. Responding to the atmosphere, the Australians attacked their opponents like wolves upon a buck. England players stood their ground until the third day when, quite suddenly, they fell back and were routed. England's submission renewed fears that the series had been oversold. But Michael Vaughan and his players have learnt their lesson. Never back off against Australia. Birmingham was an epic. Disturbed by the loss of their best fast bowler on the first morning, and misreading the pitch, the Australians made their first serious mistake at Edgbaston. Human error has its part to play in these dramas. Stress does funny things to the mind.

Australia was outplayed and still nearly won. On the cusp of victory the Englishmen fell back. Did you suppose the champions would go down without a struggle? They almost stole the match. Again there was a lesson. Never let your opponents smell fear.

At last came the relief of a final wicket taken in a blur of bumper, glove, celebration and despair. And then glory again as the home hero did not join his excited comrades but instead marched across to commiserate with his valiant but defeated foes. At that moment Flintoff demonstrated that he has greatness within.

Supreme innings

Next came Manchester, and the crowds on that fifth morning, and Ponting's supreme innings and the unbearable tension of the denouement. It was happening before our very eyes, with real people, their hopes, dreams and failings. And all this fuss over a bit of leather, a hunk of wood, and a ridiculous game that lasts five days and sometimes ends with honours even.

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