Ian Chappell: Ashes fortunes travelling in opposite directions (11 July 197)

Friday 11 July 1997

Ashes fortunes travelling in opposite directions

By Ian Chappell

WHEN is one-all not even? When one team is picking up speed, while the other`s foot has slipped off the throttle.

Australia have been steadily gathering momentum from the time Mark Taylor made his inspirational, career-saving century at Edgbaston. With that controversy behind them Taylor and the team were able to concentrate on matters positive.

The time has been well spent as they now have Matthew Elliott and Greg Blewett in the runs and in their correct batting positions. Jason Gillespie is back to fitness and in wicket-taking form and Shane Warne is happily ensconced with his wife celebrating the birth of their new daughter and the re-birth of his prodigious leg-breaks.

In addition, Glenn McGrath and Steve Waugh have asserted their authority on the series and twin Mark is not far away from a big score after spending some time in the middle at Old Trafford. McGrath`s realisation after Edgbaston that he is not at his best when surly has been a big plus for Australia.

McGrath is still ultra-aggressive, but he is also thinking clearly at all times. The way he throttled the scoring in the first innings at Old Trafford, so that Warne was better able to weave his spell, was something that doesn`t show up in scorebooks, but remains indelibly imprinted on a captain`s mind.

Australia`s only worries are the inability of Michael Bevan to cope with England`s pace bowlers and Taylor`s on-going lack of form. Taylor will survive thanks to the team`s success, but there are alternatives to Bevan.

On form alone Australia are slightly in front. However, their advantage takes on a stronger appearance when you con- sider the mental state of both sides.

Australia`s biggest advance at Old Trafford was Warne regaining the upperhand. Once Warne extracted a significant amount of turn the England batsmen went into their shell. At the first sign of life Warne went around the wicket into the foot marks and for the amount of use they received the England bats might just as well have remained English willow.

The sooner England learn that the only way to counter Warne is to bat very well rather than look for artificial ways of reducing his effectiveness, the better off they will be. However, I suspect that by the time the message sinks in, Warne`s playing days will be restricted to joining in with his grown-up children.

The idea of a damp, seaming pitch plays right into Warne`s hands. Taylor showed at Old Trafford he will not be bluffed into giving up the huge advantage of having Warne bowl in the last innings.

IF England keep producing damp seamers the leg-spinner will reap the reward of bowling into foot marks that are deeper than usual because of the soft first-day surface. "Hoist by their own petard" would be an appropriate epitaph for England at Old Trafford.

At the half-way point in the series Australia need only some fine tuning to keep the engine purring sweetly. This will involve trying to get the batsmen who have so far been peripheral performers into form that has them ready for Test selection. England, on the other hand, are looking at an overhaul.

Their problem is not so much one of personnel, although I think they would benefit from a fuel injection of youth and enthusiasm. It is more one of rediscovering the positive thinking that led to their aggressive play in the Texaco Trophy and first Cornhill Test victories.

Currently, the big difference between the two teams is that Australia always had the right mental attitude - all they needed was to regain some form. England, on the other hand, were in form and stumbled on to the right approach.

Now that both have disappeared in a puff of Old Trafford dust the form will be easier to rediscover than the formula.

Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/)