The Ashes are within touching distance.
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Pietersen wrote in his column for the Daily Telegraph: “Sadly I think Australia will win 2-1”.
The England cricket team holds a one minute silence in memory of the 10 year anniversary of the 7/7 …
A good summer for either might be the difference. He looks not a pale imitation of Glenn McGrath.
Root has done his best in recent days to play down this battle, but the fact is that the form of these two batsmen could well decide the victor of this series.
Since being restored to the side he has been in blistering form, the highlight being his 101 against New Zealand at Lord’s – his century coming in just 85 balls.
“I think everyone knows where the line is”, he said. The defending champions will retain the trophy with a 3-1 win, nevertheless, the weak should not be underestimated. Haddin heads into this Ashes with 65 Test appearances under his belt, with England’s Buttler some 57 outings short of that.
It’s hard to have more than one series of a lifetime and England captain Alastair Cook hopes that in Mitchell Johnson’s case it has already happened.
“For its part, England’s attack could feature Mark Wood, the Durham pacer who picked up nine wickets in the two Tests against New Zealand, his debut series”. “I like the way he has gone about his business this summer”. The likes of Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad have spoken about that series; it will be fascinating and perhaps crucial to the series to see if the Test team can continue to play with the same freedom in the heat of the Ashes. As in 2005, 2009 and 2013 they will turn up and be England’s 12th man. They will go after Australia.
“He has come into his own and I think he’s going to have a fantastic summer”, Cook said of the Durham all-rounder. England deserve that respect. Australia will try to bully England but this side will stand its ground and show character. The first Test of an overseas tour can also so often be the toughest. It’s going to be a very tight series.
It was a pre-test meeting with the match officials like any other, Cook said, but sledging has become an issue again because the Australians have derisively met a peace offering from James Anderson, England’s main strike bowler and leading sledger. There’s always an opportunity with the Duke ball. Why he didn’t get a go in the West Indies, I’ll never know. As Ashes 2015 kicks off at the Sophia Gardens, Cardiff on 8th July, the heat is turning up on the hosts.
He said: “Who can be the Flintoff of this team?” So I expect the early games to be very close, but the final scoreline may not necessarily reflect that.
England coach Trevor Bayliss is backing his team to regain the Ashes – if they can perform to their potential. Spinner Nathan Lyon carries a big advantage over Moeen Ali.
However, a repeat of such sportsmanship has been the last thing on many observers’ minds amid fears this latest Ashes campaign will be marred by the acrimonious scenes that were a feature of the 2013/14 series.
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Ahead of the primary Test, Clarke admitted that he crossed the line over the past Ashes collection when he warned James Anderson to “prepare for a damaged fu**ing arm”.
