The surprising ease of England’s triumph in the Ashes with one Test still to go tells two stories: that of Australia’s ageing team, exemplified by the retirement of the team’s captain, Michael Clarke; and of the rise of a young England, reflected in the fading away of the memory of Kevin Pietersen.
Not many in England genuinely believed in the team — even captain Alastair Cook admitted that he didn’t think his team could regain the Ashes. The decision of the new director of cricket, Andrew Strauss, to close the door on Pietersen was lambasted in the press and on social media, but many have been pleasantly surprised by the tenacity and skill of the young, inexperienced team. That Joe Root starred with a couple of tons came as no surprise, but the progress of Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, the powerful comeback of Steven Finn, as well as the consistency of Moeen Ali and Mark Wood, helped experienced players like Ian Bell overcome mini-crises. Seniors like James Anderson and Stuart Broad sparkled. When there was immense pressure on England in the third Test after the disastrous one-sided loss in the second, Finn decimated Australia with a fiery five-wicket haul. As England racked up the wins, Pietersen retreated into the past.
Meanwhile, Australia were sliding towards their own personal hell. The biggest blow came just before the series, when bowler Ryan Harris’s fragile body forced him into retirement. The posterboy for old-school Australian aggression, Brad Haddin, was replaced mid-series; Shane Watson continued his inexorable slide; Mitchell Johnson was largely ineffective; and Mitchell Starc couldn’t carry this feeble team on his own. Importantly, unlike England, the younger players didn’t come of age in time — their iffy batting techniques were exposed by the conditions and even the likes of David Warner couldn’t quite beat the odds. It would be churlish to put down England’s achievement to Australia’s batting problems, but its contribution to the ease of the English victory has to be registered. While Australia waits for its youth to grow up, England is celebrating its young men.
