The Ashes Diary (4 page)

There’s always time for team fines, levied by a committee of Brad Haddin, James Pattinson and Peter Siddle. When I transgress, the boys have decided not to fine me as an individual. Instead, I have to pay 25 per cent of the total fines that the team pays. So they’re taxing me based on the overall team performance. I guess that’s the captain’s lot. I didn’t quite agree! But you’re wasting your time arguing with that lot.

To cap off the day, Peter Brukner ran another team trivia night, a lot of laughs. This one was more of a general knowledge test, on cricket, the Ashes, music, you name it.

Tuesday 2 July.
Worcester.

If I wanted one thing from the warm-up first-class games, it was for the batsmen to score runs. In Taunton and here today, we’ve got exactly that. Today was terrific – 4/340 and everyone amongst the runs.

It was overcast all day at the County Ground, allowing for a bit of movement in the air, but Shane Watson batted fantastically to make his first hundred on tour. It’s great to see Watto hitting it so well again, and the certainty of knowing he’s back at the top of the order seems to have worked a treat. Chris Rogers went beautifully for 75, carrying on the good form he’s been showing for Middlesex. Then Eddie and I made half-centuries to round it off. Fantastic batting practice, just what we needed.

It’s true that the wicket was very flat, and Worcester didn’t give us their first-choice bowling attack. It’ll be different in the First Test. But you know, I don’t care. It’s good to get confidence and time in the middle. Any bowler can get you out at any time; it’s the same ball whether it’s delivered by James Anderson or a young newcomer at Worcester. You can only beat the opposition you’re given. And my philosophy is, you always aim to make the most of what you’ve got. That goes for a game, a throwdown session, or facing the best bowlers in the world in an Ashes Test. You set your standards for excellence, and aim to achieve that in every situation.

The bottom line is, we’re moving through the gears towards where we want to be next week, and today was another great step in the right direction.

Wednesday 3 July.
Worcester.

A lot of attention has been given to selecting our best top six batsmen. On the bowling side, it’s also complex. James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon played the first tour game as the best way of managing their workload. But it’s not a closed shop. There’s a chance for any of the other bowlers – Jackson Bird, Ryan Harris, James Faulkner and Ashton Agar – to make a push. We want to give everyone an opportunity.

Today they gave an outstanding performance. On this flattest of flat wickets, they took seven Worcestershire wickets in a consistent day-long effort. ‘Rhino’ Harris, who’s got a fantastic Test average and is still working his way towards full fitness, generated good pace in his first spell. Jackson Bird – who was man of the match in the last Test match he played, in Sydney in January – got four wickets and was the destroyer. And then there’s the teenager Agar. I’ve never played with him, so this is the first time I’ve seen him. He’s a tall, willowy left-armer with an easy action and amazing natural coordination. He’s just a born athlete. I’m not surprised the selectors have fast-tracked him, and he impressed Boof in the Australia A games. He took two good wickets today and bowled quite nicely. I wouldn’t be surprised if he plays a part in this Ashes series.

Thursday 4 July.
Worcester.

The plan was clear again today and went like clockwork. If only, speaking as a captain, it always went like this!

We took Worcester’s last three wickets quickly, with Ryan Harris very fast and accurate. As a batting unit, we’d moved beyond just wanting to have a hit and stake a claim for Test selection. Darren and I wanted to see attacking intent and a scoring rate of four to five an over so we could declare and have 20 overs at Worcester tonight.

So it went. Phil Hughes batted brilliantly again, for a fourth time in four innings, scoring 86 runs. Steve Smith made a good 43 to go with his half-century in the first innings. And it was nice for me to have some time in the middle. Getting 124 off 98 balls is as good a medicine as anything I can get from the doctor or the physio – with all due respect!

I’m the type of player who needs some time in the middle to get my confidence going. I can’t just turn up after a long break and feel self-assured straight up. Some guys can, but not me. After not batting for a couple of months, it’s reassuring to know I can make a hundred, no matter who’s bowling. It only takes one ball to get you out.

The fundamental sign for me that I’m batting well is my balance. The keys are being still at the crease and getting my body moving in the direction I’m hitting the ball. I don’t want to be overbalancing and going across my stumps, which makes me vulnerable to an LBW. I’m at the crease thinking about staying still, then moving in the direction I’m hitting the ball. It sounds simple, doesn’t it? If only!

We’ve got a big job ahead of us to win on this wicket, but we got the big one, Nick Compton, just before stumps. Maybe the reality of losing his Test spot is hitting him now. It’s happened to me at a similar stage of my career, so I know how he’s feeling.

Friday 5 July.
Nottingham.

In the final analysis, the wicket at Worcester was too dead and flat for us. Worcestershire played quite defensively, determined on drawing, and there wasn’t enough bite in the pitch for either the seamers or the spinners, Ashton Agar and Steve Smith.

Overall, I’m very happy with the four days. The players have got a lot out of it, particularly the batters. I was happy with how the bowlers tried to find different ways to get batsmen out on such a dead track. In the circumstances, taking 15 wickets was good. I’m very excited about Ashton Agar and how quickly he’s improving. You can see it happening before your eyes, and as a captain that’s a satisfying thing.

Boof injected a lighter note today by putting on a set of whites and a baggy green cap and running out the drinks. I told him he should stay out there. He’s trying to bring some enjoyment in, alongside the hard work. He loves having a beer with the boys and makes a point of us all celebrating each other’s successes. He’s also as well-planned as any coach I’ve played under. I reckon we’ll have a great partnership.

So that’s it for our eight days of cricket before the Ashes. It’s all been about giving every player the opportunity to push for selection in the First Test. They’ve got that, so now the selectors have seen all of them and have to decide which eleven to go with. The boys should be proud of how they’ve prepared. I think we’re 99 per cent right for the Test.

We’ve just arrived in Nottingham, after hopping on the bus straight from the game. Tomorrow’s a day off, part of a four-day program to get our minds ready, so we walk onto Trent Bridge full of belief.

Saturday 6 July.
Nottingham.

We had a day off today, which was lovely for all the guys: a recovery day for the bowlers, who were tired after working hard on the Worcester wicket, and for me, four or five sessions with team physio Alex. I’ve just seen Grant Baldwin, the massage therapist, too. My back pulled up a bit stiff after batting for a few hours at Worcester, but it’s been necessary to get some game time into my legs. It’s not just the batting, but standing for hours in the field, crouching for every ball in slips, and all the ordinary stuff you do on the field. No matter how much rehab I have, there’s no substitute for game time. At any rate, the rest and treatment will do it good.

In our team room at the hotel, we watched the deciding rugby Test between the Wallabies and the Lions. I’m sure some of the southern-states boys struggled to understand the technicalities of the rules. Unfortunately it didn’t take much to work out what was going on in the game: the Wallabies were outplayed by a better team. It only adds to our motivation: we can be the team that turns the year around for Australian fans.

Having a day off offers a good chance to pause, take stock and contemplate the challenge ahead. I’ve spent time on my own today, getting my mind right for this First Test match. As in the last couple of years, I go through a routine of mental training against the particular opposition I’m preparing to play. I’ve been sitting on the couch or lying on the bed with my eyes closed, picturing the bowlers – Anderson, Broad, Finn, Swann, Bresnan – fixing an image of them running in to bowl to me. I see them on Trent Bridge, coming from the Pavilion end or the Radcliffe Road end, with the distinctive old stands in the background. I see them in sunshine and under cloud, I feel whether it’s warm or cool, and I ‘face’ them with the ball swinging or not, spinning or not. I ‘feel’ my balance and ‘play’ positive shots.

I’m not big on meditation as such, but while I’m alone I’ve been listening to music to clear my mind. I don’t have any special favourites: it’s mainly Top 40 songs that Kyly has put on my iPod. It helps me focus on what lies ahead. All of this ticks the last box in my preparation. I’ll put in a bit more of this quiet time between now and the match, so that, come Wednesday, I’m cherry-ripe.

Sunday 7 July.
Nottingham. Morning.

Now that we’re in the First Test venue, a lot of the team’s partners have flown in to enjoy the game. Unlike in the old days, when partners were banned completely or had to stay in a different hotel, it’s relaxing to have a bit of domestic normality. A number of the team have young children as well, and it must be a real thrill for them to see their little ones – again unlike the old days, when cricketers would miss six months of seeing their children growing up.

Anyway, last night it wasn’t kids we had to worry about. I went to bed at 10.30 pm, expecting a nice full night’s sleep. At about 2.45 am, the hotel was woken by a
screaming
fire alarm. The entire Park Plaza Hotel had to be evacuated. So there we were, in the main thoroughfare of Nottingham – a big multi-lane road called Maid Marian Way – the team and all the other guests, scratching our heads wondering what was going on.

It goes without saying that this was not an easy time to be getting out of bed and standing out in the cool air, but it was quite funny seeing everyone in their nightwear. There were wives and partners and children, already battling jet lag, staggering about trying to come to terms with the incident. During the 2009 tour, a similar thing happened, and we found out later that someone in the Barmy Army had set off the alarm to get under our skin. So this morning, Brad Haddin, Phillip Hughes and Peter Siddle, who were there on that tour, were saying, ‘It’s started all over again!’

Sunday 7 July.
Nottingham. Afternoon.

In two Ashes tours and numerous other visits, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a hotter day in England. The sun really belted down. We were a bit tired after the interruption to our sleep, but once we got used to the heat at training it was nice, actually. It reminded us of a summer’s day at home. There’s always a feeling that we Australians are more comfortable in high heat than the English, so let’s hope it continues.

I didn’t bat or do any training aside from some slips catching at the end, as my back had felt stiff when I woke up (for the second time). As a result, I was able to spend the session watching the team.

The boys trained very hard. Their fielding was sharp, their bowling was full of energy, and the batting was focused on defence. As I’ve made clear all along, we need to place a very, very high price on our wickets. The flat tracks in Taunton and Worcester haven’t challenged us as much as the Test matches will, and we really need to be watertight. Then, when we get set, we have to keep concentrating on every ball and get on with the job.

Speaking of pitches, I wandered out to the centre of Trent Bridge to take a look at the Test strip. It’s a beautiful venue, and its reputation is that it doesn’t turn very much. It does swing, though, both with the new ball and reverse with the old ball; I remember from 2005 a devastating spell of reverse swing from England’s Simon Jones. From the look of it, this one will certainly provide reverse swing, and probably spin too. We were expecting dry wickets, but this one is much drier than I thought. With three days still to go, and in hot weather, unless they water it the pitch is going to have cracks in it come the start of the Test match. But at the same time, it looks like an excellent batting wicket. The rationale is that the county club that hosts the Test match has a lot riding on it, financially, and wants it to go the full five days. To me, this one looks like it will test the batsmen’s patience and technique, and the bowlers’ ability to maintain pressure over long spells.

I went back to the nets. The selectors, Rod Marsh and Darren Lehmann, were watching David Warner and Ed Cowan batting at the same time, side by side. It seems to be a bat-off between the two of them, a pretty tough situation because they’ve worked well together as opening partners for the past 18 months. It’s hard for Davey to be assessed on his net form, after being stood down from all cricket for four weeks, but it’s the only indication the selectors will have.

It’s very different for me, not being part of the panel. Rod and Darren watch the players themselves, and they have the NSP chairman, John Inverarity, here as well to provide a casting vote if necessary. Darren’s made it clear that he’s big on basing selection on performance on tour, so the players should have a good idea of where they stand. But everyone’s made some runs here, and David Warner has been our opening batsman for nearly two years, so a lot of it will come down to fine judgments.

Today at practice, I had a chat with Rod and Darren about the wicket and what I believe we need to have success. They told me their views, and we debated the merits of various options. I’d say they are 95 per cent of the way towards making their decisions by the time they consult me. From here, it’s up to them to pick the best eleven. They’ll hand that to me, and I’ll work out the batting order.

Sunday 7 July.
Nottingham. Night.