Don Bradman was the subject of the first adult book I recall reading as a child. In the mind of a primary school student, the unfairness of an England's skipper ordering his teammates to hurt a brilliant Australian was unfathomable. And so, like many, I came to hate England.
Excitement about the Ashes? It goes without saying. Cricket’s calendar makes this a rare treat to watch two of the top cricketing nations test and taunt and tease each other over what we hope will be 25 days of intense competition with the traditional red ball.
As the celebrated all-rounder reminded us last week at the announcement of the ballot for the 150th anniversary Test, the Ashes has a unique appeal. “Historically, everyone in the cricketing world watches the Ashes,” he remarked. “It's about heritage, the rivalry, it's always full throttle.”
Across the UK, those two recent drawn series – featuring Steve Smith’s mountain of runs and Ben Stokes’ Headingley masterpiece in 2019, and the controversial Long Room incident of 2023 – have met the expectations of what an Ashes contest should be. Yet, they have not had the equivalent resonance on the Australian shores when many locals nods off before the end of the lunch interval.
In home Tests, the Ashes has been more subdued than just flat for over ten years. Fans down under anticipate their team to win and win handily, as it has been since the nineties. Boland's stunning figures at the MCG wasn’t born from a fierce duel, it was English tragicomedy reinforcing perceptions. A true rivalry should not be this way.
The Sport's Commentators Must Now Lean In at the Fading Glow and Fan the Flames
The English team were greeted upon arrival by a tired headline in the city's paper, “Bazball”, accompanied by a portrayal of the highly regarded Ben Stokes as “arrogant”. The paper then had a dig at “Average Joe” Root, also known as “Flop Root in Australia”. It was enough to prompt a predictable Fleet Street reaction, enabling the press to squeeze what juice is left in the lead-up before the first ball is bowled.
On the other hand, the previous Border-Gavaskar Trophy between Australia and India ignited excitement on its own. The highlight was the Melbourne match, a moment that will linger forever. The metrics, too, impressed. 838,000 attended the five Tests, the fourth most for any series in Australia and the highest for any non-Ashes contest. Audiences were entranced, similar to the TV bump for India’s tour of England this year, and multiple periods averaged more than two million TV fans.
In recent weeks, the touching send-offs of two Indian legends at the Sydney Cricket Ground made one-day cricket truly significant. Contrast the news title following the previous occasion England came here for a white ball tour: “Smallest attendance for Australia-England ODI sparks concerns for ODI cricket's survival”.
The Growing Clout of Indian Cricket
Although bad weather disrupted the T20 series with India, what play we saw indicates Australia are some way off the short form’s global benchmark. In women’s cricket, at the global tournament last month, the home side defeated the defending champions. The multi-format series kicking off in February-March is shaping up as a unofficial world title decider.
It’s easy to overlook the colorful fan groups that flock to India’s matches – and not just Tests – as a mere result of the huge expat community of the planet's largest country. However, to financial analysts and television executives, they are an elixir.
India now means more to Australia than its historical roots, given the nations have in common an sea, shared colonial history, and increasingly their peoples. India is set to overtake the UK, according to ABS migration data, as the source of the largest group of foreign-born Australian residents as early as this year. The failing Aukus relationship is prompting a recalibration of defence interests respecting the rising power of regional giants, a shift that occurred years back in the sport of cricket.
The former Australian skipper, who also coached India, noted last week that England was “the classic foe”, but also that “honestly, if not for India, cricket wouldn’t be the same”.
The Final Challenge
Before Australia won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last summer, India had retained it for ten years. In India, Australia haven't triumphed in over two decades. Should the home side win back the urn comfortably this summer, losing the multi-match series in India in the coming years would make this period unfulfilled.
That elusive victory on the subcontinent remains the ultimate test for this generation, and a blip against England this summer – put down to unfortunate bowler injury, similar to 2005 and Glenn McGrath’s freak rolled ankle – would only add to the narrative.
England have not secured a victory in Australia for nearly fifteen years, and as rich as the lore may be, it won't support a lopsided rivalry forever. Therefore, with a vibrant Indian team having recently departed, Ben Stokes’s players have a lot at stake. Win the series and remain significant. Alternatively lose the urn and with it an irreplaceable asset: the claim to being the top opponent. Please England, just be good.
