England have already won the Ashes, so from the results point of view, the 5th Test to be played tomorrow at The Oval is inconsequential. But there is a lot of pride at stake, and criticize them as much as you like, nobody can deny that the Australian team are a proud bunch. They would very much like to go out with a bang.
So far, all the matches played by the two teams were one sided. England won 3 Test – the 1st, 3rd and 4th and won them all handsomely. In the Lord’s Test that the Aussies won, they simply demolished England. We haven’t had an even contest in any of the Tests so far, and as cricket fans we would like to see a close fight this time.
Australia will maintain their no. 2 position in the ICC Test ranking if they win this match, so there would still be a lot of motivation for them to win. And two of the oldest Australian players will be retiring in this Test – Michael Clarke and Chris Rogers. In fact, this Ashes has seen a lot of Aussies pack their bags. Ryan Harris was the first to go and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin will probably never play for Australia again.
So, it’s one final hurrah for Clarke and Rogers. Both spoke to the press before the match and reflected back on their careers and on their final challenge in cricket. Chris Rogers spoke about how he was written off by everyone and how he proved so many people wrong.
Rogers said, “Greg Chappell said to me a few months back that he was wrong about me and I was quite proud of that. I think a few people had a certain impression of me and particularly with my age and to be able to change that was quite satisfying. He was happy to admit I’ve proved him wrong. It was a really nice thing to say.
“I think it is time, I have had an amazing couple of years playing for Australia and enjoyed it and been part of some pretty special things but everything comes to an end and I have been pretty lucky. You are never 100% sure but I felt like this was the last one, there’s been a few things, particularly the head issues lately, I am quite happy to call it a day. People tell me you know when you know and I felt like this is the right time.”
Michael Clarke spoke about how important tomorrow’s match was: “We can’t win this series but a lot of the guys are going to come back here in four years so it’s important for them to try and get another win under our belt. It’s going to be a result wicket. Someone is going to win, someone is going to lose.
“I think this Test is as much about our character as anything else. We need to play with that resilience and grit and determination and really fight as hard as we possibly can. The past couple of Tests in particular have only gone two and a half days so we need to try and take this as deep as we possibly can. That’s going to come down to fight – and that’s a big part of why you play, why you look forward to playing cricket for Australia.
“I can think of so many occasions where you watch someone get through a tough period and have success, and that’s what inspires you as a young player, to play at the highest level. I think part of our responsibility is to try and fight our backsides off and grind our way to a victory in this Test match.”
Mitchell Marsh is all set to replace his brother Shaun in the lineup. Pat Cummins should make his return to Test cricket with fast bowler Josh Hazlewood battling shin soreness.
For England, James Anderson may come back if he gets through his fitness tests. He is likely to replace Mark Wood. Spinner Adil Rashid may get a chance and opening batsman Adam Lyth will probably get his last chance to prove himself.
The Teams
England: Alastair Cook (c), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, James Anderson, Adam Lyth, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Mark Wood.
Australia: Chris Rogers, David Warner, Steve Smith, Michael Clarke (c), Adam Voges, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Peter Nevill, Peter Siddle, Fawad Ahmed.
Match Conditions
The pitch at The Oval is expected to favor swing and seam rather than spin, and the weather is likely to be perfect, fingers crossed. The fast bowlers should enjoy these conditions.
Watch England play Australia in the 5th and last Ashes Test live on Star Sports at 3:30 PM from Thursday to Monday!
