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England last won the Ashes in 1986-87 when Mike Gatting?s team defeated Australia 2-1 in the five Test series.� However, that 1986-87 England team was a team already in decline.� England had visited the Caribbean and suffered a 'blackwash' at the hands of (Sir) Vivian Richards West Indian team early in 1986.� From that time, England dropped from the second best team of the period down to perennial sixth place.�
The Australian side of 1986-87 was floundering in the middle of its second weakest period in history.� Australia's rating of 1018 points at the end of the 1986-87 series was the lowest Australian rating in the twentieth century.� In effect, a weakening English side defeated a historically weak Australian side.
From 1987 until the new millennium, England remained ranked in sixth place while Australia climbed steadily toward the top position.� At the turn of the century, England lifted their rating from an average of 1028 points during the 1990s up to a recent high of 1070 points.� Since their revival, England has consistently held third or fourth place in the rankings.� England also now wins more series than they lose.�
The 1986 Caribbean blackwash series that triggered England's slide also saw Richards' men set the current benchmark for Test nations - a rating of 1236 points which remains the highest rating by any nation in history.� Ironically, if England again suffers the wrong side of a whitewash, then Australia will eclipse Richards' record.
The number of Englishmen who remember their nation having ever won an Ashes series is shrinking daily.� Few young people up to twenty-five years of age would remember England winning an Ashes series.� For them, the likes of Ian Botham, David Gower and Bob Willis are some old chaps who commentate on the television, reminiscing about actually having won a series against Australia.
Unfortunately for England, that demographic is unlikely to shrink anytime soon.� The principle reason may well be that one Australian player who will take the field against them can remember the pain of having lost an Ashes series.� Stephen Rodger Waugh, Veteran, Legend, the most successful long-term captain in Test history in terms of the percentage of wins from starts.� Waugh played in the 1986-87 Australian team that lost to Mike Gatting's Englishmen.
Leaders often influence the nature of their team.� Waugh's entire career has been marked by his single mindedness to win Tests.� His players all reflect that quality.� Like Richards' great West Indian team, the current Australians expect to win, they dominate totally.
The whitewash over Pakistan in October lifted Australia to claim the highest Australian rating, and the second highest rating by any nation in history.� At 1230 points, Waugh's Australians are just six points short of eclipsing Richards' West Indians and setting a new ratings record.
England starts the five-Test series ranked fourth with 1059 points and are just seven points short of overtaking third-placed Pakistan.� England has a solid team of players with a mix of youth and experience.� They would expect to be reasonably competitive with South Africa and Pakistan while being able to defeat the remaining Test nations.�
However, England is a massive 171 points behind Australia.� To add perspective, that gap is larger than the 148-point difference between England and Zimbabwe.� No one would expect Zimbabwe to come close to defeating England in a five Test series.� England has less chance of winning the series against Australia.
England does not have history on its side in this series either.� England has played Australia in 301 Tests and has won 94 while losing 121.� Since the end of the 1986-87 tour, England has won eight and lost 25 from 44 Tests.� In Australia, England's overall record is 53 wins and 76 losses from 155 Tests.� Since 1986-87, England has two wins from 16 tests with nine losses in Australia.� None are figures England wants to remember.
England may attempt to convince themselves that the absence of Stephen Waugh's twin brother Mark is to their advantage and will give them a competitive edge.� At 37, Mark failed to pass the selection panel's deliberations for the first Test in Brisbane.� The writing has been on the back pages of the press for some time concerning Mark.� He admitted upon announcing his retirement that the pressure had been immense and hard to handle.
Mark Waugh's replacement, Darren Lehmann, comes in as Australia's highest domestic run scorer, as captain of Yorkshire, and as a batsman who showed prolific form in the last three English domestic seasons.� Australia is unlikely to be any weaker, even if Lehmann performs only as well as Mark Waugh has in recent series.
England will hope that Mark Waugh's treatment at the hands of the selectors will weaken Stephen.� Undoubtedly, Stephen knows his time as an active participant in the game is coming to a close.� Stephen would know his Test career will cease with a lost series.� A drawn series may be equally terminal for his career.� That pressure, combined with the pressure to score runs, would dwell in the back of his mind.� However, Stephen?s entire career has been based around his mental strength.�
Only a naively optimistic Englishman would seriously believe they had any chance in this series.
The latest Test cricket ratings are: 1. Australia (1230); 2. South Africa (1138); 3. Pakistan (1065); 4. England (1059); 5. Sri Lanka (1041); 6. India (1032); 7. New Zealand (1025); 8. West Indies (1009); 9. Zimbabwe (911); 10. Bangladesh (826).
