Mitch Starc and Ben Stokes light up the Ashes with fiery spells
This is the mother and father of all sporting battles, The Ashes. At the Optus in Perth on Saturday, connoisseurs of fast bowling were treated to an exhilarating display of pace and bounce where the speedsters got every ounce of joy. For 19 wickets to fall on Day One of the first Test between England and Australia, this was the tempo which was badly needed.
Before one ‘drifts’ into a debate on the pitch on view in Perth and the dirt track which was produced at the Eden Gardens, don’t fall for it. There was juice in the Perth strip, while the Kolkata dust bowl was more like a mud pit which could have been used for wrestling.
Indeed, Perth was like the proverbial temptress for a bunch of fast bowlers from both nations, England and Australia, where the will, skill and thrill on view was gripping. This was a throwback to the times seen in the 70s and 80s when the West Indian fast bowlers would be ruthless, almost like a Muhammad Ali throwing punches at his opponent in the boxing ring.
The hype was justified for the Ashes Test, where the arch-rivals had hyped it to peak. It was much needed, since this is one of the oldest battles between two countries which wait for years for a Test series to unfurl. Nothing is left to chance and it is all about putting heart and soul into efforts with the red cherry in the hand.
If Mitch Starc was the destroyer-in-chief for Australia, he defined what aggression and control is. Mind you, at 35 years and 295 days, Mitch bowled with the kind of killer instinct where survival is next to impossible. The seven wickets Starc took in 12.5 overs and conceding 58 runs was mind blowing. To put things in perspective, the Aussies were without regular captain Pat Cummins, still not fit. His absence was going to be felt, or so one thought. No, the way Starc stepped up was adrenaline-felted and also craft in tandem, as he made life miserable for the visitors. It was almost like the old days when fans had seen a Lillee or Thommo terrorise batsmen. Before anyone thinks this is a war, yes, that’s what happens in the Ashes. Starc is not young, so to keep going and not worry about any niggle, this was defining. After all, the total overs bowled was 32.5
If this was the piece de resistance, what England’s quicks conjured up was also like watching a thriller. There have been concerns about the English fast bowlers, with some worried about how the hamstring would behave, bowling flat out. If Jofra Archer was speed and cunning, he showed that after a long time he still has it in him to fire those unplayable deliveries. To break the top order, getting rid of Jake Weatherald and Marnus Labuschagne was the perfect recipe.
And then came the master class from Ben Stokes. Pushing 35, dealing with fitness issues in the past and ready to come out smoking, Ben was like the proverbial hailstorm whistling through the woods. He came on late, after four bowlers had been used. What stood out was his willingness to push hard and bowl with venom on a pitch where there was juice. It’s a dream to bowl on such tracks, where a fast bowler will love to go extra hard and hit the deck. Ben Stokes was pure magic. The way he churned out those six overs and hustled the Aussies was defining. He had that killer look and to fire himself up was a revelation. Stokes looked menacing, certainly, which was all about how rivalries can add more zing. How fast he changed the script in Perth can be assessed from his bowling analysis: 6-1-23-5. It was the captain, an all-rounder by description, who had turned destroyer. Almost two innings over one one day, Sunday will be crazy at the Optus.
And for those who say interest in Test cricket is waning, tune in to the Ashes. It’s rocking.
