TOP FIVE: PLAYERS WHO SOARED IN THE ASHES 2010\11 (part 1)
The much created hype about the Ashes series has finally come to an end. There was not much of a contest; the Barmy Army was too good for the Poms, crushing the once unbeatable side 3-1 in a series that was supposed to be challenging. They surely did it
in style, the underdogs went rampant in their campaign securing the first win with an innings and 57 runs, second with an innings and 157 runs and the third with an innings and 83 runs.
While Australia was falling the Englishmen were having a treat. Apart from Collingwood the barmy army has fired from every position. There have been a number of outstanding performances and performers.
Alistair Cook didn’t only face the attack in this series he faced it head-on all guns blazing. Looking at him go in the series makes you forget the once struggling Cook, fingers being raised on his technique the young opener battled his
way through to give the Englishmen what they had never dreamed of- the player of their dreams -the hero of Ashes. In the first test when it seemed like Australia were going to be 1-up in the series the no.2 batsman for England stood-up like a guardian, playing
the innings of his life. England was trailing by a good 221 runs when Cook came out to bat along with his captain. The captain went after scoring a century but Cooks journey hadn’t ended as he went on to make a double century and came back to the pavilion
unbeaten at 235. The first match, ended in a draw, but Cooks fortunes didn’t as he followed up the massive innings with yet another century scoring 148 this time at Adelaide. He was again involved in a 150 run partnership with his captain to give his team
a comfortable platform upfront. Defying the norms of cricket he followed up his 82 with yet another big score in the last match as if spitting in the face of the opponent, telling them he is too good for them. He scored 189 to set things up nicely for his
team as it proved to be an easy win for the visitors. In all Cook scored 766 runs in the series with an ever-creeping average of 127 and lead the English batsman by some margin as the English batsman next to him in the list is Jonathan Trott with 445 runs.
Cook has scored three huge centuries and two fifties (The most interesting thing here to see would be the expressions of an Australian reading these stats.)
Jonathan Trott, the debutant centurion, has been the second highest scorer for the English in this Ashes series. This boy has a knack of rescuing the side when in need. The calm, collected and somewhat cocky Trott was involved in a 2nd
wicket unbeaten 329 run partnership with Alistair Cook, the partnership being the highest for the series, the pair wiped the smile right off the Aussies’ faces as they took away any hopes they had of winning the first match of the epic encounter. The no.3
batsman in the English batting line-up was also involved in two other match winning partnerships one for the second wicket and the other for the sixth wicket. The second match of Ashes series, the captain went early only in the second over of the innings,
the no.3 makes his way to the pitch from the dressing room, Australian fans looking for a collapse, Jonathan Trott looking to disappoint them and he successfully does, lasting 47 overs on the pitch tormenting the Aussie bowlers with his nudges and pushes,
draining them off energy until finally a stroke of luck for the bowlers or divine intervention, Trott made his way back to the pavilion scoring 78 runs off 144 deliveries. In the 4th test Trott came out to bat at his usual position but something
was different about him it seemed as if he was given a job-the job of tormenting and humiliating the kangaroos- he did the job so well that the Aussies didn’t only to go on to lose this match they lost the next test too and that too with comfortable margins.
It was nothing more than child’s play for him, he came out to bat with the score at 170 and he returned to the pavilion scoring another unbeaten 168 giving his side a lead of over 400 runs.