The English mindset

The BBC commentators during the post match discussion, while talking of the momentum going England's way, with English bowlers faring better than Aussie, said that they think, at this point, given a chance, Ricky Ponting would be happy to walk away with a 2-2 result in the series ! They just don't get it. This just shows what the English themselves would have been ready to accept, given the same situation and choice.

This Australian team does not indulge in regulation bravado when they say they think they can win all the games. Glen McGrath, in his post match comments, said sure, he has revised his final verdict from 5-0 to 3-1 ! And I think he means it.

However much I (and many others) may dislike this Aussie team for their arrogance (especially off the field, and in media outings) I have to conceded that they have this 'playing to win' mentality etched in their minds.

And its this mentality because of which, over a 12 day period when Eng played better cricket than them (only slightly, though) they could still have had a series hanging at 2-0 instead of 1-1! It was only one cricketing shot away. That's how close they came while playing 'bad cricket' ! And somewhere deep down, atleast the old Waugh armymen of this team would be moving beyond this past week with a feeling of 'missed opportunity' rather than the 'great escape' which most of us, in their shoes, would have felt.

I wrote before this series that, if Eng play well, it would be a series of tough cricket, but the Aussies are better even at fighting and gritting than anyone else. These past 2 weeks they just proven that.

So, the English should be well aware, because the Aussie batting is bound to click decently atleast once, and soon. And when it does, it will not let English fight their way back.

Michael Vaughan and his bunch should avoid listening to the hype about them having the momentum (although I have a feeling some members in this team are as gritty as the Aussies when it comes to a tough battle). Their bowlers need to keep bowling their hearts out, spell after spell. And oh yes, he needs to keep winning those tosses...or maybe Ponting needs to keep electing wrongly ;-)