All eyes turn to Ashes showdown after World Test Championship final win
The Aussies are World Test Champions for the first time, an occasion to savour normally. However, deep down the team knows the battle for the true prize starts on Friday at Edgbaston.
How do you celebrate the rare and momentous achievement of being crowned world Test cricket champion when the Ashes starts on Friday?
That’s the bizarre tightrope Australia were being asked to tread on Sunday in The Oval dressing rooms as they toasted what was on one hand a grand final triumph, and on the other – a warm-up to the main event.
Australia deserve praise for winning the second ever World Test Championship Final, with their 209-run victory before lunch on day five against India, an old fashioned thrashing.
But deep down they know that the main prize is still to be won, because the brutal truth is this fine accomplishment from Pat Cummins’ men will soon be forgotten if Australia doesn’t win the Ashes.
It was fitting that Scott Boland was the chief destroyer for Australia in the championship round on day five, nicking off the one man capable of engineering an Indian miracle – Virat Kohli.
Boland announced himself early in this two-year World Test Championship journey with his unforgettable debut against England at the MCG 18 months ago.
That magical chance came when Josh Hazlewood was out injured, and again in the WTC Final, Boland was filling the shoes of the veteran who still hadn’t proven his fitness from his latest setback.
Hazlewood is pushing to return for Friday’s first Test against England at Edgbaston, and according to Test great Ricky Ponting – Hazlewood should play if fit.
But how can he possibly unseat Boland?
When there was talk Hazlewood might unseat Boland for last summer’s Boxing Day Test against South Africa, it seemed risky.
But now the prospect of dropping Boland for Hazlewood, who has played just two Tests in two years, seems downright wrong.
Cummins’ is an automatic selection of course, and Mitchell Starc is surely close to that too after blitzing through the Indian tail in the way only he can. Starc was rusty during the Test but he is a rhythm bowler who will be better for the run.
Hazlewood is a great, great bowler and will no doubt return during this Ashes series and play a crucial role – but it will be a brave selector to change the attack that blasted India to pieces in the WTC Final for this first Test.
David Warner told Justin Langer on Channel 7 that Australia would celebrate the World Test Championship Final … but not too hard.
“That’s just the game of cricket these days, you don’t really get too much time to celebrate,” Warner said.
“We’ll celebrate tonight then switch straight onto the next series. Enjoy tonight, then back on the training park.”
Australia might have lost the big away series to India earlier this year, but overall they have been superb under Cummins over the past two years.
They are deserved World Test Champions.
But Australia knows being best of the best means little if they don’t beat the Old Enemy in cricket’s ultimate showdown.
The good news is, performing in the pressure of a Test Championship Final seems a pretty good way to warm-up for England. Bring on the Ashes.
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