England might have experienced life the hard way in Australia. But would they want to give up once and for all. No the fighters they are, they would want to stand up and do just that before the tour ends.
Ashes tours, for England and Australia alike, have always been the toughest of tests on the cricket arena. And, the two teams gear up well in advance to make things go their way. The wins and losses have been part of the game, but when they lose, they let down an entire nation.
The current Ashes series have been wretched for England. The main matches are over and gone. The taint is on the English squad. But the English team wouldn’t want to leave Australia without something to cheer about.
The T20 series that begins on January 29 will provide them with the opportunity to stand and proclaim they aren’t a weak side. Though some of the tired players are already on the plane back to England, some fighters have decided t stay back and force an encounter on the mighty Aussies.
Undoing The Damage
After the drubbing in the Tests and ODIs, players of the likes of Alastair Cook and Ian Bell have left for home land. So now it is left to the ones like Stuart Broad, Joe Root, Boyd Rankin and Ben Stokes to hold aloft the English pride.
The chance has now arrived. Though the Tests and the ODIs drained them off their strength and confidence, the T20 series is being looked at in positive spirit. Broad has been anointed skipper for the series now, and all he will be looking at would be try and play for a total win in the three-match Twenty20 series.
It looks like Broad and his boys are well set to achieve their goal, at least now. It has become imperative for them to do that, as they wouldn’t want to step back on England soil wearing the loser’s tag.
Scary Side
What comes as a boon for them could be the strength their T20 team boasts of. As Broad was heard saying ahead of the T20 series, England has some unbelievable strikers in its side. What Broad would love to see is a platform set up with Lumb, Hales, Wright playing prominent roles . Adding support would be Morgan and Buttler . For Broad, what England boats is a “scary” line up.
As far as Australia is concerned, the side has emerged as the No.1 team, but will start the T20 series against England as only the eighth best team in the world. On the other hand, England is ranked sixth. England has an advantage on that front too.
Aussie Plan
Though the ashes ODIs and Test are past, the two teams would play with the same vigor as they displayed a few days ago. The two sides would want to emerge victorious as this series would be seen as a preparation for World T20, which starts in late March in Bangladesh.
So that makes it an important T20 series too. England would not want to take things lying down – at least not now. We need to wait and see what the Aussie strategy would be.
