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26 December 2010

Boxing Day Test

Today was not a happy day for Australian cricket. Twenty runs was the highest score on the Australian score card, and the tenth wicket fell before the total score got to three figures. To add insult to injury, it took England just an extended session to overtake Australia's score without losing even one wicket! The atmosphere at the iconic MCG was extremely subdued; no one wants to see such a capitulation, and Australia just did not appear to be competitive enough. If they don't manage to pull this game from the brink, then England will have won the Ashes, and I think Australia will have some very difficult decisions to make: to preserve a core team around which to build with an infusion of young players who can be honed into a top team again over some time. Australia have been such a good team, by a huge margin for such a long time, it is difficult to even contemplate a period of rebuilding, but this is what is required.

I got Matthew Hayden's book "Standing my ground" as a present from Pearl. Australia now needs to manufacture a few new idols of the likes of Hayden. I believe that the captain should also stand aside, for a someone who will be able to take the side into the future; I am not sure that this will or should be Michael Clarke! Anyways, I am not a selector - they will have to think long and hard about this!

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