The Hindu : Sport : Australia completes formalities

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 06, 2007
ePaper

Sport

Sport

Australia completes formalities

Ted Corbett

SYDNEY: Andrew Flintoff, the England Test captain will meet David Graveney, the chairman of selectors, on Saturday having discussed the problem with his senior players and inevitably step down so that Michael Vaughan can take charge of the side for the one-day series which begins next week.

Vaughan will also be consulted since it would be the biggest disaster you can imagine if he were to break down in the first couple of matches. His knee is reported to be strong again after the third operation in a few months to solve the cartilage injury and there has been advice from experienced people who want him to delay his comeback until the World Cup.

Vaughan wants to play as soon as possible and thinks his knee will hold up so Flintoff may have led England for the last time. This genuinely pleasant young man behaved perfectly immediately after England had lost the fifth and final Test against Australia by 10 wickets. Australia completed a 5-0 Ashes series clean sweep for the first time in 86 years at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.

Triumphalism

England was bowled out for 147, Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden knocked the target of 46 off in 10 overs and the next two hours were devoted to Australian triumphalism which, for once, no-one will see as inappropriate. Least of all Flintoff, who bowed deeply during the presentation ceremony to acknowledge the green and gold superiority. "We played well in patches," he said, "but they were always able to find someone to come back at us. They were awesome, they raised the bar and although we were not at our best we were beaten by a better team."

Flintoff refused to accept criticism that the presence of so many families was a reason for the defeats. "I like being with my wife and children," he said. "It is much better going back to the hotel and finding them there than sitting down to watch television all evening."

Of course the Australians won everything. Stuart Clark was Man of the Match for his five wickets and 35 runs, Ricky Ponting was Man of the Series for his 256 runs in the first Test at Brisbane, his 142 and 49 at Adelaide, his 77 runs in Perth, his leadership and — presumably — his good luck in being able to put Shane Warne on at one end knowing that four wickets would fall eventually. "The margin shows how far ahead of the pack we are," he concluded and no one will argue with that.

McGrath had James Anderson caught to finish the England innings and said it was "the perfect way to bring my career to an end" and Warne, looking more like a rock star than ever wondered if he might now shake off the photographers who follow him and "take all my clothes off behind a bar if I want to."

Justin Langer, who cried as the presentations took place, said he had advised his opening partner Matthew Hayden that "we need a six and a single to win this and" here he clapped his hands loudly — "next ball six, next ball single." It was odd that there was such a contrast between the feeling of elation at the Oval 15 months ago when England won the Ashes for the first time in 16 years and this triumph which was greeted by the crowd inside the stadium with thunderous cheers.

I will remember the champagne on Vauxhall Bridge, the smiling policemen, the high fives between cyclists and pedestrians long after the sights and sounds of these six weeks have faded. I suppose there is a sense of anti-climax because the Ashes were won nearly a month ago, because every nuance of this defeat has been analysed and because the focus has switched to the retiring McGrath, Warne and Langer.

It is sad to think we will never see McGrath bowl in anger again, as he did when he had Kevin Pietersen caught behind and when he yorked Sajid Mahmood; and that Warne's wiles are history. Their coach John Buchanan has led Australia for the last time too and slipped quietly away. Australia may miss him most of all.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport