A fiery Ashes already!!!

One test down, this Ashes is already in the news and is making a splash across the cricketing community. Pre-ashes the spotlight was on Pietersen, Watson. Post-ashes the spotlight is on Johnson, Broad, Trott, Sledging.

England were destroyed completely by the Aussies at Brisbane. Their Batsmen failed to click together to build sufficiently stable partnerships and their collapses were magnanimous. It lead to Warner commenting publicly that he saw fear in the eyes of J.Trott.

Trott has been the steadying ship in the english side. The rock in the English batting line up, who comes in at no.3 and provides stability to their side, allowing Cook and Pietersen to go berserk on the opposition. Trott failed miserably in the first test, not providing enough support to the openers.

He withdrew from the Ashes to return home, due to stress related illness, depression being very common in the world of sports. Trott has been extensively touring with the English side, playing cricket without any substantial break so as to spend time with his family and to relax. He has had support coming from every corner of the cricketing community, including the opposition camp, and the past players and legend. One of the other cricketers, that too English, to withdraw from a tour was M.Trescothick who withdrew due to depression and ended up retiring from cricket early on.

The first test saw some fiery bowling from Johnson, who usually has been the target for the Barmy Army, for his inaccuracy and inability to live unto his reputation and skills, but he proved them wrong, being the main man responsible for England’s horrendous performance in the match. Captain M.Clarke backed up his bowlers fiery bowling with his own aggression venting out at James Anderson.

He was captured on the stump mikes, swearing and sledging at Anderson and promising him a broken arm. He was fined 20% of his fees for the sledging. It brought into limelight the amount of tension between the players on the field and the sledging that is involved. Even warner’s comment on Trott in the public was regarded as being unprofessional and disrespectful. He went on to comment that he saw fear in Trott’s eyes when on pitch, in correspondence to the ugh target that England were chasing.

The aussies have been unapologetic about the sledging and claim that it is part and parcel of the game and is dished out by both the teams on the pitch.

With trott out for the remainder of the series, Root is widely expected to fill the gap, and he has the goods to back the selection up. Root was at the other end of a Warner punch in a pub during the last ashes in England, so expect some more sledging and fireworks when Warner is a close in fielder while Root is batting it out against a reformed Aussie side.

England don’t look strong enough to retain the Ashes this time.