All About Ashes 2010 - 4th Test Match

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Squad Announced for the 4th Test Match (Boxing Day Test)

Ricky Ponting is expected to recover from his broken finger in time to lead Australia at the MCG on Boxing Day, but the selectors have included New South Wales batsman Usman Khawaja in the squad as a precautionary measure. Khawaja, who just turned 24, is uncapped and will join the team in Melbourne on Wednesday.

"While the NSP (national selection panel) are confident Ricky Ponting will be available for the Boxing Day Test, through an abundance of caution we have named Usman Khawaja as the standby player," Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of the panel, said. "Usman richly deserves this opportunity following his excellent form at domestic level last season and continuing on this season."

Khawaja had also been included as cover for Michael Clarke, when the vice-captain was struggling with a back problem in the lead-up to the first Test in Brisbane. He is presently in Sydney, where he scored a 78 for New South Wales in the second innings of their Sheffield Shield game against Queensland.

However, Australia's batting coach Justin Langer was extremely confident of Ponting recovering. ''I would be amazed if Ricky doesn't play in this Test, he is that tough physically and mentally. At one-all, Boxing Day Test, a chance to win the Ashes, he will definitely be there," Langer told the Sydney Morning Herald. ''His injury might work in his favour. He has been trying so hard and this might help him relax and get ready for the Test match. Rather than working too much and doing batting beforehand, this might be the breather he wanted.''

Ponting sustained the injury when he dropped Jonathan Trott at second slip on the third afternoon at the WACA, with the rebound popping up to Brad Haddin. X-rays showed a small crack and he spent the morning of his 36th birthday in the dressing room to protect the injury. He walked out after the victory had been secured to level the series at 1-1 and congratulated his team-mates. Ponting hasn't been in form with the bat either, scoring 83 runs in six innings in this series, and averaging 38.95 in 24 Tests since the start of last year.

Squad: Shane Watson, Phillip Hughes, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Steven Smith, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Michael Beer, Ben Hilfenhaus, Usman Khawaja.

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Koi faida nahi hoga coz England will retain the Ashes by winning the 4th Test. No matter what happens in the last game.

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England will savour their Melbourne celebrations after retaining the Ashes with a crushing success, but Andrew Strauss insisted there was still much work to do to reach their ultimate aim of being the No. 1 side in the world. Test victories don't come much more comprehensive than an innings-and-157-run demolition, yet Strauss was at pains to stress his players won't see it as mission accomplished.

Their first task is to ensure Australia don't level the series in Sydney, but both Strauss and Andy Flower, the England coach, have repeatedly said that this Ashes series is just another stepping stone in a much longer path for the team towards the summit of the world game. Even little more than an hour after Tim Bresnan removed Ben Hilfenhaus to seal victory at the MCG, Strauss was outlining the challenges ahead.

"Our objective was to come out here and win the series," Strauss said. "We have not achieved that yet. It is reassuring to know the Ashes are going to remain in England for another couple of years, but it will leave a very sour taste in the mouth if we are not able to go on and convert our position into a series win in Sydney. We should enjoy tonight and rightly so, but it is back to square one for Sydney.

"In reality the job is a long way off being done," he added. "This is one series and as a side we have still got a lot of goals we want to achieve. English cricket is not just about winning the Ashes. We have to look forward to the future and get our team up those rankings and to be the world's number one at some stage. That is the ultimate goal for us and we have to take a lot of small steps on the way to doing that including India next summer is an important step on that way. I get the feeling we can still improve as a side and that is very motivating."

Unlike in 2005, the last time England closed in on becoming the best, the 2010 vintage is a side that should remain together for the foreseeable future with the possible exception of Paul Collingwood. Michael Vaughan's unit five years ago was broken apart by injuries, which can't be planned for, but there was also the feeling that Ashes success was an end-game whereas for Strauss the triumphs have come as part of a developing side.

There is also an increasing amount of depth in the England squad - Flower has always said it takes a squad to win Test series, not a side - which bodes well for the future. When injuries came post 2005, players who weren't ready for international cricket such as Liam Plunkett and Sajid Mahmood were thrown in at the deep end. Now Strauss and Flower are able to call on Bresnan and Chris Tremlett, while Steven Finn has already learnt plenty and Ajmal Shahzad is waiting in the wings. When Stuart Broad returns from injury it will be a tough decision who is left out.

"I always thought there was a huge amount of talent at our disposal," Strauss said. "Maybe we didn't realise quite how much there was. The likes of Tremlett, Shahzad, Bresnan and Trotty. Maybe we did not realise how much talent there was in county cricket. Those guys have stood up and delivered and we feel like there is no reason why we can't go on and do better things. But if we get away from what has got us here - hard work and sticking to basics - and start patting ourselves on back too much then we are going to go backwards. It is a stark reminder for us that there is a lot more hard work for us to do."

England turned into a laughing stock the last time they were in Australia ended and were whitewashed, then two years later lost a captain and coach on the same day when the relationship between Kevin Pietersen and Peter Moores broke down. It was a low ebb, quickly followed by being rolled for 51 in Jamaica, but from then on the climb has been steady, albeit not without the occasional stumble such as Perth or Headingley.

However, despite becoming the first England team in 24 years to retain the Ashes down under, Strauss said that as long as he remains an international cricketer he won't stop striving for better. "While you are still involved with England side, if you are not looking to push forward then there is something wrong there."

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Match Summary

Australia 98/10 (1st innings)
M Clarke 20
P Hughes 16

JM Anderson 44/4
CT Tremlett 26/4

England 513/10 (1st Innings)
IJL Trot 168*
MJ Prior† 85

PM Siddle 75/6

Australia 258/10 (2nd Innings)
B Haddin 55
S Watson 54

T Bresnan 50/4


England won by an innings and 157 runs
England led the 5-match series 2-1
Player of the match: IJL Trott (England)

[LoViNg IrFaN]

[sheem]

wah g wah england jeet gaya

good


22 . Igni sach kehti hai