Batsman to quit after Ashes, Froome starts testing, Mercedes — World Sport
He has watched England’s success this summer from afar, but enthusiastically.
Australia captain Michael Clarke was in reflective mood on the eve of his final test match against England at The Oval as he plotted a consolation victory to finish the series on a high. Australia have urgent rebuilding to do and victory will not alter that.
Finn has taken 99 Test wickets ahead of the fifth Test, which starts at The Oval on Thursday, at an average of 28.54. And they mean business.
Anderson missed the fourth Test in Nottingham with a side strain injury he picked up in Australia’s second innings in Birmingham, and has not recovered in time to return for the Ashes finale.
After his debut hundred in Bangalore in 2004, which he completed wearing his baggy green Australia cap rather than his helmet, Clarke like many a young player before him saw his form dip. Unfortunately my performances haven’t been as good as I’d like throughout this series.
“It would be the ultimate, the absolute ultimate, to go Down Under again and try to do what we did in 2010-11”, said Cook, who will be 33 during the 2017-18 series.
On the four occasions they have come to The Oval with three Tests in the bag, they have been thwarted.
The timing of Clarke’s announcement led to accusations that he had tried to make what should have been England’s day “all about him”, a criticism that was aired when he confirmed he would be quitting one-day internationals on the eve of Australia’s World Cup final triumph against New Zealand earlier this year.
I’m going for England to win by an innings and 40 runs with another emphatic display to keep them magic word “transition” heading in the right direction. Debatable. If England are to win they will have to do so authentically. “I think we’ve played some really good cricket which the public has enjoyed watching”.
The 25-year-old is acutely aware too that he is living with the threat of surgery on his chronic ankle problem, on a match-by-match basis.
“But the way that Mark Wood has come in and bowled, how well he’s bowled in the series and certainly in the first game and the last game”.
He said: “Hopefully this can secure my place – that is the aim and I will be giving it my all to do that and everyone wants to be a part of a side going from strength to strength and I’m no different. And I’ve had no niggles or anything, so I can’t be any more ready if I get the call up”, he said.
That was a phlegmatic attitude.
“It’s been a good week to be an English cricketer – lots of people saying “well done”, but…” It’s wrong to discount those guys who are getting better. “A couple of them could probably have had a career in professional football but, thankfully for us, they chose cricket”.
“He’s a fantastic player, someone who has done a huge amount for Australian cricket”, Wood said.