Australia Retains Ashes in Conventional Triumph, Outsmarting England
Former Australian speedster Jason Gillespie has come to the defense of the national team’s conventional approach in the 2023 Ashes series, stating that they have successfully outsmarted England to retain the Ashes urn. Despite the risk of losing the 5th and final Test at the Kia Oval in London, Australia will be taking the urn back home.
Australia secured victories in the first two Tests at Edgbaston and Lord’s before suffering a defeat at Headingley. The fourth Test ended in a draw due to rain. Although England has played some impressive cricket and outperformed Australia at Headingley and Old Trafford, it’s worth noting that they lost the first two Tests and failed to capitalize on opportunities to take the lead in the series.
In his column for The Daily Mail, Gillespie acknowledged the allure of the Bazball dynamic but asserted that Australia’s approach has been justified given their objective to retain the Ashes. He stated, It is really easy to criticize Australia over their slow run rate, and the whole Bazball thing is sexy and exciting. But England are 2-1 down. Australia have come out and retained the Ashes, so I think they have been absolutely justified in the way they have played.
Gillespie also highlighted England’s expressed mission to save Test cricket, emphasizing that they cannot complain about not winning the series due to their focus on scoring faster. He commented, If England are on this mission to save Test cricket — although I am not sure England versus Australia needed saving — and they feel they will do that by scoring faster, you can’t then complain about not being able to win the series because of the weather at Old Trafford.
Nevertheless, Gillespie praised Ben Stokes’ leadership and his ability to alleviate pressure from his players by not prioritizing winning. This approach represents a significant shift in the culture of the England team compared to Gillespie’s playing days. He noted, But my theory is that Ben Stokes was just trying to take the expectation and the pressure off his players. He wants them to go out and play with freedom and take the criticism away from them. That is pretty inspiring leadership.
As the 5th Ashes Test progresses, England ended Day 3 at 389-9 with a lead of 377. Despite this, Australia will walk away with the urn, showcasing their mastery in executing their strategy throughout the series. Although debates will continue surrounding Australia’s approach, Gillespie believes they have earned the right to be free from excessive criticism due to their retention of the Ashes.
As the 2023 Ashes series draws to a close, Australia’s conventional triumph and their ability to outsmart England have solidified their dominance. The team will savor their victory and return to their homeland with the cherished Ashes urn.
