Ponting is no where close to Steve Waugh and soon we will see one of the three (England, India, Pakistan) in the top spot of the ICC test ranking. As McGrath, Gillespie and Warne play their final Ashes this year, it would be interesting to see how Ponting can maintain the top spot in the ICC test ranking. As of now, he is riding on his bowlers who have shown the utmost commitment that was never seen by any other bowlers in the modern times.
Every single tets match that Ponting has won ever since he bacame a captain, they have won the match only with some exceptional help from their bowling department. Had it been not for Gillespie and McGrath, I don't think Gilcrist, Matthew Hayden, Martyn, Katich, Clark can do much. And as McGrath and Gillespie play their final Ashes this year it would be interesting to see how Brett Lee can carry forward the theit bowling legacy as a senior bowler. I think they will crash just as he was ont done by Indian batsmen when India last toured Australia.
A die hard English cricket fan, I have been waiting since Jan'03 to see England play the Aussies in another Ashes contest. Seeing their improved performance in the last 18 months, I strongly felt that this would be the series, England could regain the Ashes. At tea on the 1st day, I was very happy to see Australia bowled out for 190 & was feeling good about English performance. But in the next hour Glenn McGrath, who has destroyed English top order many a times, reduced England to 21/5. After that it has been all Australia in this test, barring a small resistance from Peitersen. At the end of this Lords episode, I have already started feeling that England will have to wait for another four years, when McGrath & Warnie would have retired & Brett Lee would have past his prime, to see an Ashes series victory. England need to do a lot of soul searching about how to play McGrath & Warne in the next ten days & also improve upon their fielding. If you drop 6 catches in the 2nd innings against the best team in the world, there can be only one winner.
Few positives from the game for England were Harmison's bowling & Peitersen's 50 in each innings.
