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Comment by Elmo Rodrigopulle

When it comes to cricket without doubt it is the Ashes series between Australia and England that is the ultimate.

From the time these two countries began Test cricket and later contested for the Ashes, the clashes between these two giants have always been fought out in the best of spirits always maintaining the lofty traditions of this time honoured game.

The two countries have always fronted up to Five and Six Tests to decide a series. Where ever they play, be it in Australia or Old Blightey, the fortunes of the game have been followed with tremendous interest by cricket fans of both countries and their supporters the world over.

In the good old days it was the commentaries relayed from Radio Australia that were intently listened to. But today modern technology has brought the action live on television.

Supporters of teams are glued to their TVs and heavy wagering too goes on.

The series between these two countries from the inception have produced exciting and thrilling moments that have been savoured and record books rewritten.

While history has been rewritten and records maintained about the brilliant batting, bowling and fielding that has been witnessed, the most outstanding efforts have been produced by the greatest batsman that the world has seen, Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Leonard Hutton and Jim Laker.

Sir Donald reeled off a couple of triple hundreds, Sir Leonard hit the highest score of 364 in the series and Laker produced the best spell of bowling seen in the series which earned him 19 wickets in a Test. These feats have not been equalled or surpassed.

To England's credit was the 903 they made in one of the Tests.

But the encounters are best remembered for the bodyline series. The Englanders unable to stop runs flowing from the bat of Sir Don, thought out bodyline bowling to curb the Don.

Bodyline is directing the ball to the body with a heavily packed leg side field. Many of the Aussie batsmen were felled by these tactics as there were no protection like today.

The bodyline bowling mainly by Harold Larwood who was lightning fast was unacceptable to the Aussies, and at one time it came to a point where it nearly severed cricketing ties between the two countries.

Soon the two countries will be crossing swords in a Five Test series in Australia with the first one beginning at the Gabba on November 7. Already daggers have been drawn with both teams trading barbs.

The Waugh brothers Steve (captain) and Mark have been singled out for attack with Pakistani coach Richard Pybus leading the way. Pybus' frustration can be understood. His team is getting the thrashing from Australia never experienced in their history before.

So Pybus unable to pocket humiliation has had a fling at Steve Waugh.

But Waugh has not been without support. Former Aussie skipper Allan Border made it known what he thought about Pybus' remarks. Then Waugh also had support coming from former wicket keeper batsman Rodney Marsh.

Marsh now with the English Cricket Academy as Director, warned the Aussie selectors not to drop the Waugh twins for the coming series saying that it would give the Englishmen a massive psychological advantage.

Marsh said that Australia who have won the last seven ashes series, would be flirting with disaster if they dropped their two most experienced campaigners.

The Waugh twins have been performing adequately in the Pakistani series, especially Steve who with a magnificent century in the final Test landed a thundering slap at his detractors.

As for us the twins are a must in the Australian line up if they are to retain the ashes.

Windies in the dumps

It is sad to note what is happening to cricket in the Caribbean. They were world beaters at one time playing cricket that was a connoisseurs delight and had the world craving for more.

The Indians at the moment are rolling them over under the able captaincy of Sourav Ganguly and have already pocketed the series winning the first two with one to go.

With rain delaying the start of the second day in the Second Test, it was interesting and amazing to watch the manner in which the Indian groundstaff were drying out the wet areas surrounding the wicket.

After the use of the super sopper, they brought out an iron - the ones we used to iron clothes in the old days using coconut shells and also as Ravi Shastri described it, they brought out the barbecue.

These two objects certainly helped dry up the areas and get play under way.

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