Australia's odd Ashes build-up
Greg Baum writes in the Age that England's comprehensive series of warm-up games means they should be ready - perhaps more so than Australia - for the first Ashes Test.
Brydon Coverdale
25-Feb-2013
Greg Baum writes in the Age that England's comprehensive series of warm-up games means they should be ready - perhaps more so than Australia - for the first Ashes Test.
You might easily be forgiven for thinking that the prelude to this Ashes series had been drawn up by England, not Australia. After its obligatory series of meaningless one-dayers against Pakistan in September, England spent October toiling away in the nets, on pitches prepared to simulate Australian pitches, and using Australian balls. Then it decamped to Australia.
Some of the Australians spent the past six weeks playing in the Indian Champions League in South Africa, then in two Test matches against world No. 1 India in India, then in three meaningless one-dayers against India, two of which were washed out, rendering them in all senses pointless.
Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. He tweets here