Glenn McGrath: ‘Michael Clarke has made the right decision’

“If Cooky believed the stress he was under was affecting the team, he’d have stood down but he believed he should absorb the pressure himself and deflect it away from the players”.

Young Steven Smith is certain to take the reins from Clarke in the two-Test tour of Bangladesh in October.

“I think the selectors have made it very clear that that was one of the toughest decisions they’ve made“.

“For what we’ve been through over the last 18 months, to play like we did has been fantastic”, Cook said.

“It is not easy playing away but it’s something that we clearly have to get better at”.

Lauding Michael Clarke’s leadership, Indian Test captain Virat Kohli on Sunday congratulated the retiring Australian skipper for his “magnificent cricket journey” which would end with the fifth and final Ashes Test against England.

Australia have been beset from the outset this summer by unavailability in an ageing group of players – dubbed Dad’s Army by one of their own former Ashes-winners, now Yorkshire coach, Jason Gillespie. “We just didn’t adjust to the conditions at all”, rued Hogg, before adding, “Australia would have gone there thinking they were well-prepared but they would be leaving this series feeling disappointed”.

“Once I got back to my hotel after day two (of the fourth Test) I spoke to my wife, Kyly, and then I went straight up to (Shane Warne’s) Warnie’s room”, he said.

Root became the sixth England player to head the rankings after batsmen David Gower, Graham Gooch and Michael Vaughan, and bowlers Ian Botham and Steve Harmison.

The Oval track has had this reputation of assisting spinners but in the last Test that was played on this ground, India were rolled over by the English seamers for 148 and 94 respectively.

Sutherland, however, said Lehmann is safe in his role.

“It’s unbelievable. I couldn’t be happier”, England captain Alastair Cook told reporters.

But it is reported that Anderson, who is England’s highest wicket-taker of all-time, has started running again and is positive that he will be 100% fit to play the August 20 match. You’re on the road a long time, no doubt about that, but I’m still a cricket nuffy and love watching cricket.

“I think I’ll be quite aggressive and try to be as proactive as possible”.