Day 108 – The Ashes

There’s something about good fast bowling that I quite admire. The finest of which can be seen at a seamer friendly pitch in a test match. If it’s on, irrespective of who’s playing – generally England, Australia, South Africa and Pakistan – and if the match is marching towards a gripping result, I like to watch it. I love cricket, after all. Why wouldn’t I?

The Ashes test series – one of the finest display of pure cricket that one can ever see – is ongoing and this time it’s a live wire. England won the first test match with a canter surprising everyone. Australia fired back registering a massive victory at the Lord’s. The third test match was what was supposed to be the one which will define this test series; and that it did with much gusto. In the evening of the first day, I looked in my mobile to check for the scores. It was Australia at 99 for 7. I couldn’t much believe it. Only in the previous game they had had a batting riot. How could they find themselves in such a deep pickle now? I, thus, went down to the television screen to catch up on the game a bit. And it was exciting! Tremendously so. The crowd at Edgbaston was fantastic. The pitch worthy of a praise. The bowling of England – quite impressive and to the mark. Consequentially, Australia tumbled to 136 all out. The series was on.

Interested in the happenings of the test match, I kept myself updated of the scores, thanks to BBC Cricket and ESPN Cricinfo, two of my favourite places to read about test match cricket. And today when the match was almost reaching its finale with England right on the money to win it comprehensively, I went to the television again to indulge a little. I am quite glad that I did. England won the test match by eight wickets leaving the Edgbaston into a singing delirium and Australia wondering what to do next chasing a 2-1 Ashes lead.

Oh, test match cricket, how I like you!

Here’s a quick history of the Ashes test series narrated by Stephen Fry, if you’re interested.

And if you really feel like indulging yourself, here’s the highlight one of my favourite test matches of all time – the 2001 India v/s Australia Kolkata test match.