Tough talk no match for tough tradition

The gulf between Australia and England is nothing to do with talent or aura, says Mike Atherton in the Times. Both teams are equally matched in the former, especially when Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen are available to England, and, no, this Australia team do not carry the same aura as previous visitors to these shores. But one thing this Australia team have in common with their predecessors is toughness, a soul-deep toughness that, at the critical moment, befriended them again while deserting their opponents.

Toughness has nothing to do with staring, sledging or ganging up on the opposition. It has everything to do with an ability to execute hard-won skills under maximum pressure. The Ashes were won in 2005 because England held their nerve and because a group of wonderfully skilled bowlers showcased their talents at crucial times. Australia were not outfought, they rarely are, but they were outplayed.