Cheteshwar Pujara ICC Test Ranking

Cheteshwar Pujara take5th position in ICC Test Ranking 

  

India's batting sensation Cheteshwar Pujara climbed two places to be at fifth spot, while Virat Kohli slipped a position at number 11 in the latest ICC Test rankings issued today.

Australia whitewash England in Ashes series

Australia win the fifth test against England in Ashes series

Fifth Test, Sydney (day three)
Australia (326 & 276) beat England (155 & 166) by 281 runs

England folded in dismal fashion to lose the fifth Test within three days and with it the Ashes series 5-0 to end their miserable winter in entirely appropriate fashion.

Ashes England won the toss and chose to bowl first

5th Test: England elect to bowl

 SYDNEY: England won the toss and chose to bowl on the opening day of the fifth and final Ashes Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.

fifth Ashes test at Sydney

Michael Clarke expects pace-friendly wicket for 5th test in Sydney

 

Sydney:  Australia captain Michael Clarke says he's never seen more grass on a Sydney Cricket Ground pitch and predicts it will suit a pace bowling attack as the home side attempts to complete a 5-0 Ashes sweep over England.

Jacques Kallis Retirment from Test Cicket

Jacques Kallis bids adieu to Test cricket

DURBAN: Jacques Kallis, one of the greatest all-rounders of the game, today bid adieu to Test cricket after an illustrious 18-year career in a fairytale script as he hit a century in his swansong match in South Africa's 10-wicket thrashing of India on Monday.

Jacques Kallis on last Test hundred

 

Jacques Kallis says Special feeling to get hundred in last Test

DURBAN: South Africa's Jacques Kallis got a fairytale hundred against India in his farewell Test and the retiring all-rounder said it was a "special feeling" to reach the three-figure mark in his final appearance in the five-day game for the Proteas.

India all out in 2nd inning South Africa need 58 to win

Rahane misses ton, South Africa need 58 to win 

 Ajinkya Rahane was bowled out by Vernon Philander for 96 as India were bundled out for 223 in their second innings, giving South Africa a target of 58 runs, in the second Test at Kingsmead in Durban on Monday.

Jacques Kallis hits a century in his last Test

Jacques Kallis hits a century in his last Test

Jacques Kallis marked the end of his test career with an emotive farewell century on Sunday to give South Africa a chance of victory over India going into the last day of their brief two-match series.

Jacques Kallis gets guard of honour from Indian Players

Jacques Kallis gets guard of honour from Indian Players

Retiring all-rounder and one of the greats of the game, Jacques Kallis, was given a guard of honour by the Indian team in his 166th and final Test match at Kingsmead, Durban on Saturday. Kallis walked out to bat with South Africa on 113 for two (live updates) and the Indian team arranged themselves in two lines with Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the helm.

Australia win fourth Ashes by eigth wicket

Australia win fourth Ashes by eigth wicket 

 

Australia cruised to an eight-wicket win over demoralised England with more than a day to spare on Sunday to claim a 4-0 series lead and stand on the cusp of an Ashes whitewash.

Jacques Kallis to quit Tests after India series

Jacques Kallis to quit Tests after India series

South Africa's workhorse and one of the best all-rounders to have graced the game, has decided to call it quits from Tests after the ongoing series against India. The Boxing Day Test at Durban will be his last for South Africa.
The broad shouldered, mentally strong Kallis has been one of the most crucial figures in South Africa's rise in Test cricket over the last few years. He has played alongside some of the former greats like Allan Donald, Gary Kirsten and S2haun Pollock to name a few.

With runs in excess of 13,000 and close to 300 wickets, Kallis has been one of the most influential characters in the longest format of the game, with credentials solid enough to find him a place in any world-class side.

According to the Cricket South Africa press release, Kallis spoke about his decision and said, "It's been an honour and a privilege to have been part of the South African Test team since making my debut 18 years ago. I have enjoyed every moment out in the middle but I just feel that the time is right to hang up my Test whites.

"It wasn't an easy decision to come to, especially with Australia around the corner and the success this team is enjoying, but I feel that I have made my contribution in this format."

Kallis, who made his international debut at the age of 20 in 1995, will finish with 166 Tests to his name. Talking about South Africa's ascent in the last couple of years, Kallis said, "The last two years specifically have been a memorable journey with an exceptional group of cricketers. I am fortunate enough to have ended my Test career amongst a group of talented cricketers but more importantly, friends whom I will cherish for years to come."

Fans all over the world will be deeply saddened by the news but Kallis assured that this wasn't the end of his playing days.

"I don't see it as goodbye because I still have a lot of hunger to push South Africa to that World Cup in 2015 if I am fit and performing."

One can also not rule out the high level of hunger for success that has often been associated with the veteran as he said, "Winning an IPL title with the Kolkata Knight Riders was a special achievement, and I am still determined to taste that success with South Africa at an ICC event."

South African coach Russell Domingo shared his view on Kallis' big decision and said that the team will miss the big South African's impact and said that it will be tough to find another player of his stature.

"The impact Jacques has made on South African cricket has been immense, not just as a player but as a human being. I am not sure we will ever see another player of that stature very soon. "


Talking about Kallis' traits that will be badly missed in the dressing room, Domingo said," Jacques calmness, maturity and presence in the change room will sorely be missed and hopefully he will still be able to play a role in this team's success in the near future.

Domingo was also optimistic of seeing Kallis in prime form in coloured kit for the World Cup 2015.

"He has ambitions of playing in the 2015 World Cup and it will be important for us to manage him accordingly so that he is in prime form leading into the tournament," he said.

Kallis is currently placed fourth in the list of cricketers with most runs in Test cricket, behind Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid. The Durban Test will give him an opportunity to usurp the last two of the three names and go second behind Tendulkar. He needs 115 runs to go past Dravid and 205 to go past Ponting. Kallis also has 292 wickets and 199 catches to his name.

 

 

Kevin Pietersen will not stop attacking ,ashes 13-14

Kevin Pietersen will not stop attacking ,ashes 13-14

Kevin Pietersen insists he will not change his risk-taking batting style, despite a run of failures resulting in Geoffrey Boycott branding him a "mug".

England's leading batsman by Test average and reputation, 33-year-old Pietersen has struggled badly on this disastrous tour so far, scoring only 165 runs in his six innings.

On five occasions he has been caught on the leg side playing attacking shots, but with the Ashes already lost he says he will play the same way in Melbourne's Boxing Day Test.

Pietersen said: "I don't think I've helped myself. But that's the way I play. I don't know how many articles have been written about the fact that I've got myself out, but I'm there to dominate, I'm there to take risks.
"If I see a ball to hit for six or a ball to hit for four, there's something in my body that tells me to hit it. I'm not the kind of guy who can think about knocking the ball down the ground."
As England were beaten by 150 runs in the third Test in Perth to go 3-0 down in the five Test series, Pietersen was caught on the long-on boundary trying to clear Ryan Harris, who had just been placed there for precisely that shot.
With England fighting to save the Test and Ashes it led many to bemoan the attitude of their star batsman, who had earlier passed 8,000 Test runs in his 102nd Test.
Pietersen told BBC Sport: "The other day was a mistake. Clearly I've made a few mistakes - and that's been highlighted - but I won't change the way I play for anybody because I think I've been pretty successful.

"It's not a case of can't, it's just there's something in me that says if there's a ball to hit then you've got to hit it. And it works.

"On the good days, at Adelaide on the last trip down here, I scored 227. On nought, the first ball I hit from Doherty landed just over point's hands, yet everyone says it's one of the greatest innings I've ever played. You take the rough with the smooth. That is what happens.
Pietersen insisted he did not view the shot he got out to in Perth as a risk.
"I should have hit it for six," he said. "As long as I play, I'm going to try to hit sixes."
Pietersen also brushed off the controversy over Graeme Swann's comments following the spinner's retirement, which some misinterpreted as a criticism of the South African-born batsman.
He also insisted that, at just a year younger than the departed Swann, he had no plans of his own to end his international career.
Swann has denied that he was referring to any of his team-mates when he claimed that some cricketers had their heads up their own backsides.

“I'm fully committed to do my best to help us win in Melbourne and help us win in Sydney”Kevin Pietersen

Pietersen said: "I have heard bits and pieces, but my family arrived on Monday and I haven't seen my little boy for two months, so my interest levels in what the media were talking about were less than zero.

"It's fairly weird. In every press conference I do, people ask how long I'm going to play for. I'm fully committed to do my best to help us win in Melbourne and help us win in Sydney.
"The dressing room isn't happy about the results at all. We set higher standards than we have produced on this trip so far.
"With the Ashes now gone, we can hopefully sort ourselves out, reinvent ourselves, do something positive and finish the tour off positively.
"I know a lot of fans come over for the Melbourne and Sydney Test matches. We owe it to everyone and those guys who spend a lot of money coming to watch us to produce something."

Virat Kohli achieves career best Test ranking of 11

Virat Kohli achieves career best Test ranking of 11

Dubai:  Star Indian batsman Virat Kohli jumped nine places to achieve his career-best 11th spot in the latest Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen issued on Monday.

Kohli, who stroked 119 and 96 in the two innings in the first Test against South Africa, was the second highest-ranked Indian after Cheteshwar Pujara, another centurion in the same match in Johannesburg, who remained on seventh spot after earning 37 rating points. (Also read: Kohli shocked South Africa did not go for win vs India)

South African A B de Villiers, one of the two South African centurions to help draw the Johannesburg Test, leads the rankings. He leads compatriot and second-ranked Hashim Amla by 25 ratings points.

Rank	Name	Country	Rating as on Dec. 23
1	AB de Villiers	South Africa	906
2	Hashim Amla	South Africa	881
3	Shivnarine Chanderpaul	West Indies	876
4	Ross Taylor	New Zealand	871
5	Michael Clarke	Australia	868
6	Kumar Sangakkara	Sri Lanka	866
7	Cheteshwar Pujara	India	838
8	Misbah-ul-Haq	Pakistan	783
9	Gareme Smith	South Africa	775
10	Younus Khan	Pakistan	769
11	Virat Kohli	India	748

Meanwhile, South Africa fast bowler Vernon Philander has achieved the coveted number-one ranking on the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers after a stellar performance against India in the drawn Johannesburg Test.

Philander has dislodged team-mate Dale Steyn, who had been at the top of table since July 2009 when he went past Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan. Overall, Steyn spent 186 matches at the number-one position, the second-most ever after Muralitharan. (Also read: Dale Steyn records worst figures in Test career)

Philander had entered the Test trailing Steyn by four ratings points. While Philander recorded figures of four for 61 and three for 68, Steyn managed just one wicket. The contrasting performances resulted in Philander gaining 13 ratings points and Steyn conceding 13 ratings points.

This swing means Philander now leads Steyn by 22 ratings points and the 28-year-old from Bellville will now start the Durban Test as the number-one ranked bowler in the world for the first time in his career.

Philander is now the seventh South Africa bowler to claim the number-one rank after Aubrey Faulkner (1914-1921), Hugh Tayfield (1955-1958), Peter Pollock (1969), Allan Donald (1998-1999), Shaun Pollock (1999-2003) and Steyn (2008-2013).

Overall Philander is the 74th bowler to head the Test bowling ranking.

Philander has also become the third South Africa bowler after Pollock and Steyn to break the barrier of 900 ratings points, considered a landmark for top bowlers.

Philander's total of 912 ratings points is the joint-sixth best ever, with England's Tony Lock and West Indies paceman Curtly Ambrose, and the best-ever by a South Africa bowler.

In the team rankings, New Zealand's eight-wicket win over West Indies in the Hamilton Test has helped it register a 2-0 series win and, thereby, gain seven ratings points to retain seventh position with 82 ratings points.

West Indies, on the other hand, has dropped behind Sri Lanka in seventh position in the table headed by South Africa (131 rating points). India are at second place with 119 rating points.

England off-spinner Graeme Swann, who retired from international cricket on Sunday, ended his Test career in 15th spot.

Swann's highest ranking with the ball was when he achieved the number-two position in March 2010. He reached a peak of 858 points later that year. (Suggested read: Swann takes parting shot at teammates)

Swann also spent 41 matches and 111 days in 2011 as the top ranked ODI bowler, first reaching top spot on 3 July 2011. He has ended his ODI career in 24th rank on the bowling table. He also spent 35 matches and 338 days as the top ranked T20I bowler, first reaching top spot on 30 December 2010. Swann has ended his T20 International career in 17th position.

Zaheer Khan achieve the 300-wicket mark in Test cricket

Zaheer Khan achieve the 300-wicket mark in Test cricket

NEW DELHI: Zaheer Khan became the fourth Indian to achieve the 300-wicket mark in Test cricket when he dismissed Jacques Kallis on the fifth day of the first Test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Sunday.

But Zaheer was lucky to get the wicket of Kallis as the batsman was ruled out leg before wicket even through there was an inside edge on to his pads.

Zaheer joins Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh in the elite list.

A fit again Zaheer came up with a superb bowling effort to grab 4/88 in the first innings.

Zaheer has gone through a lot of late. Injuries, lack of form and fitness issues had seen him out of the Indian team for quite a while. It was a difficult road back for him to come back.

Zaheer, when he started off in the Champions Trophy in Kenya in 1999, used to work up a pace of 140 plus. Over the years his pace came down but he added some more skill in his repertoire like the knuckle ball and the art of reverse swinging the old ball.

Zaheer, alongwith Yuvraj Singh, trained hard for 42 days at a stretch at Metasport Athletic Performance Centre in France where they learned new things in terms of exercise, food and diet.

Known for his ability to swing the ball both ways, Zaheer is regarded as the best fast bowler emerged from India after Kapil Dev and considered among the best left-hand fast bowlers in the world along with Wasim Akram and Chaminda Vaas.

Zaheer was the highest wicket-taker for India in the 2011 World Cup, reinventing himself from several injuries to become the backbone of Indian pace attack.

Zaheer had rocked international cricket when he clean bowled Steve Waugh in the Champions Trophy in 2000 and it was largely due to Zaheer's exploits with the ball that India won a Test series in England under the captaincy of Rahul Dravid in 2007.

Zaheer, who turned 35 on October 7, 2013, worked with a world-renowned trainer for six weeks in France to get back in shape and then went to South Africa to work with a specialist on his fielding and bowling.

It's remarkable to note what Zaheer Khan has achieved despite having a career that has been hit by several injuries.

Pujara slips to seventh spot in ICC Test rankings

DUBAI: India's Cheteshwar Pujara slipped a rung to seventh in the batting list but R Ashwin remained steady at fifth in the bowling chart of the latest ICC Test rankings issued on Thursday.

Apart from Pujara, Virat Kohli, who struck a hundred on the opening day of the first Test against South Africa on Wednesday, is the only other Indian in the top-20 of the batting list. He is unchanged at 20th.

Among the bowlers, Pragyan Ojha moved up a spot to eighth. Ashwin, meanwhile, continued to hold the top position in the all-rounders' list.

Elsewhere, Australia opener David Warner has moved up three places after stellar performances against England in the Perth Test, which the home side won by 150 runs on Tuesday to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-Test series.

Warner, who scored 60 and 112 to be the leading run-getter to date in the series, earned 51 ratings points to end at 741 ratings points, which has given him a lift of three places to put him just outside the top 10 in 11th position.

The other centurions from the Perth Test - Shane Watson and Steven Smith of Australia, and Ben Stokes of England - have also moved up the rankings.

Watson has jumped six places to 32nd, Smith has gained gain eight places to 37th, and Stokes has rocketed 81 places to 73rd.

South Africa's duo of AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla continue to head the rankings for Test

India made 280 runs in first inning against South Africa

South Africa bundle out India for 280 runs on Day 2 in first Test

NEW DELHI: Vernon Philander snared four wickets and Morne Morkel took three, as South Africa bundled out India for 280 runs in their first innings on the second day of the first Test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Thursday.

Scorecard

India lost their last five wickets for just 25 runs as the Proteas pacers altered their lengths, taking full advantage of an overcast morning.

Morkel dismissed Indian captain MS Dhoni before Philander got rid of Ajinkya Rahane and Zaheer Khan off consecutive deliveries.

Morkel had Indian captain MS Dhoni caught behind by AB de Villiers in the ninth over of the day.

Morkel lured Dhoni on to the front foot with a length ball just outside off, the Indian captain got only half-forward as he poked at it and ended up edging the ball through to the keeper.

In the next over, Philander too had Rahane (47) caught behind and on the next delivery trapped Zaheer plumb in front of the wicket for a first ball duck.

India then lost their ninth wicket when Philander clean bowled Ishant Sharma with an incoming delivery.

The day's play started with Rahane and Dhoni resuming the Indian first innings.

On Day 1, centurion Virat Kohli and the determination of the new-look middle-order ensured that India reached 255/5 by stumps.

There was an intent shown by every Indian batsman to honour Dhoni's bold move to bat first on a bouncy track with a tinge of green. Even the openers Shikhar Dhawan (13) and M Vijay (6) looked to leave a lot of balls, something that they had worked on over the last one week.

Dhawan, though, threw it away trying a hook off Steyn with both deep square-leg and deep fine-leg back. Morne Morkel, coming in one change, bowled a few short ones to push Vijay on the backfoot and then pitched one up to induce the nick.

Cheteshwar Pujara took the brunt of the South African pacers as Kohli looked to express himself. But the best thing about the 89-run partnership that lasted 27 overs was the level-headed approach of the two batsmen. Both left a lot of deliveries on length, forcing the South African pacemen to change the off-stump line. The Kookaburra ball was also losing its nip and it allowed both Kohli and Pujara to take control.

A horrible mix-up led to Pujara's run out but by then the initial storm had blown over. Kohli had settled down very well and was looking equally comfortable both on the front and back foot. He was not playing at anything outside the off-stump and was choosy about playing the hook shot. He played the hook only when he was in line, thus ensuring that he had the shot always under control.

Rohit Sharma (14) was also looking good, but the habit of playing far away from his body led to his downfall. He nicked a well-pitched up delivery off Vernon Philander and the AB de Villiers didn't make any mistake.

But Kohli at the other end was unstoppable and reached his fifth Test ton. 

India vs South Africa first day Virat Kohli struck century 119

South Africa v India: Virat Kohli century helps tourists recover

Virat Kohli struck 119 to help India to reach 255-5 on the opening day of the first Test with South Africa.

Batting in the number four position vacated by the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar last month, Kohli hit 18 boundaries in his fifth Test century.
He had come to the crease in the 16th over after the India openers were dismissed cheaply in Johannesburg.
Kohli departed in the 76th over but Ajinkya Rahane, in only his second Test, recorded an unbeaten 43.
The 25-year-old, who made only seven and one on his debut against Australia in March, shared an unbroken partnership of 36 with skipper Mahendra Dhoni who had earlier chosen to bat on a wicket offering some assistance to the bowlers at the start of the two-match series.
Paceman Dale Steyn dismissed Shikhar Dhawan, who top-edged a rapid short-pitched delivery to Imran Tehir at fine-leg, before Murali Vijay edged a full-length ball from Morne Morkel to wicketkeeper AB de Villiers.
Kohli seized on anything short but having shared 89 with Cheteshwar Pujara he called for a quick single only to send his partner back when he had almost joined him at the striker's end, with Pujara easily run out for 25.
Having reached his first Test hundred against South Africa and become only the third India batsman to make a century in Johannesburg, Kohli fell when he scooped a wide ball from Jacques Kallis to cover, the 289th Test wicket for the veteran all-rounder.

India will miss Sachin Tendulkar says Morne Morkel

South African pacer Morne Morkel on Monday, fired the first salvo ahead of the two-match Test series, starting here December 18, stating that the young Indian batsmen will miss 'Sachin Tendulkar's patience' in the middle and they should be prepared to face some hostile bowling from the home side. (Sachin Tendulkar's absence makes life easier: Russell Domnigo)

Morkel said it would be interesting to see how the young Indian batsmen cope with the South African pace battery now that the likes of Tendulkar are not in the visiting team. (We have the desire to win: Pujara)

"Sachin was a batsman who could bat for a long time. And he put the bowlers and the opposition under pressure by batting for a long time. He was the rock for their batting. He could bat with the top-order and the middle order both," said Morkel two days ahead of the first Test.

"These young Indian batsmen are quality players, but we can clearly see from the ODI series that they are attacking batsmen who like to come at the bowling. It will be interesting to see how they go about this," he added. (An uphill task awaits India in Tests)

Tendulkar retired from all forms of cricket after playing his 200th Test against the West Indies in Mumbai last month. His departure left a huge void in the Indian team and that will be most visible when the Test series begins.

"Like I said, they are all very quality guys. Rohit Sharma has been scoring runs off late and Cheteshwar Pujara can bat for time at number three. Even Ravichandran Aswhin averages 40 at the back-end of their line-up. So we need to make use of the early morning conditions with the new ball. We need to be on the money from Wednesday itself, otherwise they can score quickly and at Wanderers, sometimes it can be a high scoring game," he said. Asked specifically if he left out Virat Kohli's name on purpose and that South Africa might not consider him a threat, Morkel was non-committal at best.

"Virat has done well in Australia and scored some runs when India toured there last. He is a quality player. But he is obviously going to slot into Sachin's role and he has got some big boots to fill. He can do it very well, don't take me wrong, but it is going to be a testing time for him at number four," Morkel said. (Virat Kohli's flaws against pace bowling could be exposed: Ray Jennings)

Though the Indian team management has made no official statements about who will bat at number four, Kohli has batted with Pujara in pairs at the open nets sessions on Friday and Sunday at Benoni.

In the first ODI, India were rattled by pace and bounce, losing the match by 141 runs. Things did change for the bowlers in the second ODI in Durban, where the bowlers restricted the opposition to 281 runs. Yet, the Indian batsmen failed to chase it down, losing by 136 runs eventually. Adapting to the conditions will be the key, considering that the Indians have had almost negligible practice in the build-up to this Test series. The batsmen, in particular, have suffered the most, as their last outing was in Durban. They have not batted in a competitive setting since, for the second innings in the third ODI at Centurion was washed out before the abandonment of the practice game in Benoni due to a wet outfield. "When I heard the news that they did not have even a ball at Benoni, I felt it will definitely be something in our favour," said Morkel.

"Because the pitch at Benoni can also be a bit tricky at times. I think that could have been good practice for them. So it is definitely some sort of bonus for us that they were stuck to indoor nets or open net-practice. Out there in the middle, it's a completely different ball game."

Morkel, however, felt his side should not be carried away by the listless show by the Indians so far in the South African tour. "The nature of the Wanderers' pitch is that is has always been bouncy and quick.

It can be a high scoring game, if the batsmen get in. So the margins for bowlers are definitely a bit smaller here, because of the ball coming onto the wicket and the outfield here. "It is going to be crucial how we use the pace and bounce. But we need not to get too carried away. The Indian bowlers struggled to find the right lengths in the first ODI and it takes some time to adapt to the conditions here. So we need to be smart about using the conditions as well," he added.

Despite the struggles in that first match of the tour here, the Indian team can gain heart from the fact that they did beat South Africa here in a Test match way back in 2006. Back then, under Rahul Dravid, S Sreesanth had taken eight wickets in two innings and Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman had scored half-centuries to script a first-ever Indian Test victory in this country. "2006 was a long time ago. We can only think about the current scenario and for South Africa, it is about getting a good start. We were a bit slow against Pakistan and that cost us a bit. For India, a lot has changed. They have no Rahul Dravid, no Tendulkar, no batsmen who can really build an innings. So it's a completely different ball game," Morkel said.

Ashes 2013-14 -England must bat through the entire final day

Ashes 2013-14: England face battle to save series in Perth

England must bat through the entire final day with just five wickets left if they are to rescue the most improbable draw from this third Test and keep the Ashes alive.

On a day that began with an all-out Australian assault on their dispirited bowlers and bottomed out with a golden duck for captain Alastair Cook, England closed on 251-5, still a mammoth 253 short of their nominal target of 504.
The impressive Ben Stokes will resume on 72 and Matt Prior seven, but their task on a badly cracked pitch would appear futile after the failure once again of too many senior players.
While Cook received a peach of a delivery from Ryan Harris to be bowled first ball and Ian Bell played well for his 60, Kevin Pietersen was caught on the boundary trying to hit Nathan Lyon into the stands.

Cook's wicket continued his miserable series, the weight of this failing team appearing heavy on his shoulders, while Pietersen is averaging 27 from his six underwhelming innings.

Once again Australia were superior in every department, and if they seal the series to win back the Ashes for the first time in seven years as now seems inevitable, it will be entirely merited.
Stuart Broad will bat only if required to save the game after sustaining heavy bruising to his right foot when being pinned lbw by Mitchell Johnson in the first innings, meaning after the not-out batsmen, only Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann and James Anderson realistically remain in Australia's way.
Michael Clarke's confident, aggressive side hit new heights on Monday morning as they dismantled England's much-decorated attack in a brutal hour of sustained hitting.
Shane Watson made a century off only 106 balls, with 11 fours and five sixes, as he smashed Swann out of the attack.
In the first 13 balls he faced from the off-spinner he cracked 37 runs as he moved from his overnight 29 to his fourth Test century in a blistering 40 balls.
England dropped one catch and let another fall between two hesitant fielders as they fell apart even more completely than they had during Sunday's hapless display.

When Bresnan did take a fine catch on the boundary he tumbled over the ropes, although he could not be blamed for either that or the farcical way in which Watson eventually fell for 106.

The number three top-edged an ugly pull only for Bell to spill the regulation catch, and when Bresnan picked up the loose ball to hurl down the stumps with Watson open-mouthed and leaden-footed mid-pitch, it was almost as much in anger as aim.
Steve Smith was caught at mid-wicket by substitute fielder Jonny Bairstow off Stokes for 15, but it only heralded the next cavalry charge as George Bailey launched into Anderson to the roaring delight of the Waca crowd.
In one over he hit an extraordinary 28 runs, including three straight sixes and two fours, to equal the world record for the most runs scored off a Test over and humiliate England still further.
In all 134 runs were added in 17 overs as Australia declared on 369-6. It was the first time in Test history that a team has been set a fourth innings target of 500-plus in three consecutive matches, and England began in the worst possible fashion.
Harris produced a ball that swung in and then moved away to clip the off bail as Cook's 100th Test brought his first ever first-ball dismissal.
Michael Carberry and Joe Root survived the first hour after lunch before the opener was trapped lbw for 31 by a full inswinging ball from Shane Watson, while Root failed with a review after being brilliantly caught behind by Brad Haddin for 19 off Mitchell Johnson.
Pietersen and Bell then took the score to 121 before Pietersen, as so many times in this series, walked straight into the trap set by Clarke and his bowler.
It was left to Stokes in only his second Test to provide the sole silver lining after Bell perished for a well-made 60 attempting to upper-cut Peter Siddle over Haddin.
His 50 came up off 69 balls with nine fours as he showed exactly the application and discipline that has too often been missing from his far more experienced team-mates.
But to expect him to salvage something from the wreckage of this England performance is both unrealistic and unfair, and at some stage on Tuesday, Australia will almost certainly once again be in possession of the famous old urn.

McGrath's prediction of a 5-0 whitewash by Australia

PERTH: Test great Glenn McGrath has hailed Australia's rediscovery of "bit of mongrel" in the Ashes series and said they were starting to resemble the top teams of the past.

Australia are 2-0 up in the five-match series against England and could take an unbeatable lead if they win the Perth Test starting Friday after humbling the tourists in Brisbane and Adelaide.

Since meekly losing the Ashes in England earlier this year, Australia's performances have been defined by fierce fast bowling, dogged batting and a more aggressive attitude.

McGrath said it was good to see. "Australia play best when they've got a bit of mongrel about them, when they play hard out in the middle, when they don't give an inch, when they play an aggressive brand of cricket," he said in a column for a betting website.

"It's something that has been missing for a little while and they're back there now. They are a team I'd be proud to be a part of."

McGrath, who took 563 Test wickets at 21.64, credited pacer Mitchell Johnson for "injecting Australia's psyche with a bit of confidence".

"What he must do is not get carried away and still execute his plans, but there is no reason that Mitch, alongside Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle, can't keep doing that," said McGrath.

"I've been saying for the last few months that Mitch was going to have a huge impact on this series, so I'm not surprised by the way he's played. I'm backing him again to have a big match in Perth.

"He had the English batsman jumping about on what was supposed to be a fairly docile track at Adelaide so I can't wait to see him on the speed gun at the WACA."

Ahead of the series, McGrath predicted a 5-0 whitewash of England and he is standing by his call.

"England continued to look like a rabbit in the headlights at Adelaide and I can't see a way back