Even by the lofty standards of the Ashes and cricket’s most storied rivalry, anticipation over these past few days has reached a level approaching critical mass. During a sun-drenched buildup at Edgbaston, as players prepped, bar staff loaded up the store rooms like missile silos, and mowers buzzed around the outfield, there has been an abundance of knowing looks and instant smiles, every interaction swiftly followed by theories and predictions. The stage is finally set, the pyrotechnics locked and loaded, and all we need now is that initial spark.
It comes at 11am on Friday morning when, in front of 25,000 spectators, and hopefully millions watching and listening at home and overseas, the first cherry-ripe ball is sent down – a moment which itself has become part of the 146-year legend. In the past they have sailed past off-stump, flown gallingly wide to second slip, whistled to the rope or clattered into the timber; often it means little, sometimes it sets the tone.
In the last series, it unquestionably did the latter. When Mitchell Starc detonated the leg stump of Rory Burns at a febrile Gabba 18 months ago, it set in motion a full-blown dismantlement of England and a 4-0 defeat from which many – including yours truly – expected a long and painful road back. Joe Root lasted one more limp tour as captain and Australia, it was thought, would probably be nailed on to end a 22-year drought during the return visit this summer.
In the intervening time they appear to have grown stronger. Under the blue-eyed, smiling leadership of Pat Cummins they have clearly deepened their bonds as a playing unit, confident enough to relegate their head coach, Justin Langer, to the role of Banquo’s ghost up in the commentary box. A generational great such as Steve Smith has been augmented by the rise of Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head, an intimidating attack by Scott Boland. World Test champion status has deservedly followed and this Ashes defence, Cummins admits, will now define their legacy.
But England have changed dramatically, a team liberated in the image of their aggressive captain, Ben Stokes, and an uber-optimist Kiwi in their head coach, Brendon McCullum. It has shifted the needle and turned the task of picking favourites and underdogs into a fool’s errand. Much like the one-day team’s epiphany under Eoin Morgan, they have developed a groundbreaking style of play and, while it has been a high-wire act at times, the upshot – 11 wins from 13 – means both teams are peaking nicely.
People call it “Bazball” in a nod to McCullum’s nickname but most do so knowing it massively undersells the role of Stokes. The all-rounder is on record that it simply should be “English Test cricket”, believing he and McCullum have set a template which could outlast his own creaking body. Back in January the pair even gave a presentation to the counties, espousing the virtues of batting fast, bowling solely for wickets, entertaining above all, and treating the draw with contempt.
There are sceptics on both sides of the divide and elsewhere waiting for it to fail, either nauseated by the talk of saving Test cricket, or fancying it as a flash in the pan and symptomatic of wider decline. There are also those – including yours truly – who believe regardless of its sustainability, it has been a joyful counterpoint to a global landscape being terraformed into a succession of soulless franchise leagues. And all told, it probably has given England their best shot at regaining the urn.
Stokes was in a pretty relaxed mood a day out from the toss, wearing the bucket hat that sums up his team’s club-side outlook and the knee brace that sums up the concerns over his durability as a bowler. Once again he stressed the result doesn’t matter to him and, while supporters may disagree, on one level he was right: whatever the final scoreline, these next six weeks really are positively pregnant with possibilities – a goldmine of storylines simply waiting to be extracted and polished up.
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Chiefly this is the binary reaction that will result from the two contrasting playing styles but also the individual threads one to 11 on both sides, be it the late arrival of Moeen Ali – a “gut and heart” decision, said Stokes – the restoration of Jonny Bairstow behind the stumps, or Head’s golden streak of run-a-ball form for Australia. Harry Brook will make his Ashes bow, while Boland has his chance to prove all the predictions from that remarkable debut right: that he will relish the Dukes ball in England.
And there is the possible swansong for two of England’s all-time greats – not that either is saying this. Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson play their 135th Test match together this week, having already passed the 1,001 Test wickets shared in tandem by Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath. Broad is 18 short of 600, Anderson 15 away from 700. To simply reach this point is testament to their professionalism, skill and insatiable hunger for the Ashes contest. And what follows could rival the farewell those two Australian greats experienced back in the day.
Warne would have loved this Ashes series, both England’s devil-may-care approach – on and off the field – and the well-oiled Australian machine it comes up against. And so to pinch a line from his old friend Rob Key upon uniting Stokes with McCullum last year, and with that first ball nearly upon us, it’s time to buckle up and enjoy the ride.
