ANDREW STRAUSS v RICKY PONTING
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A CRITICAL aspect of the Ashes contest will be the battle between captains Andrew Strauss and Ricky Ponting.
Both are experienced cricketers but they have never captained against one another in a Test. I can guarantee nerves will be taut when they walk out for the toss in Cardiff.
Strauss was appointed captain earlier this year, so Ponting, who has been in the job since 2004, certainly has the edge on experience. However, that will be irrelevant when good luck or a bad break interferes with all the plans.
I have been impressed by Strauss's leadership. He has calm authority, his field placings have been excellent and the bowlers respond to him.
Disaster
Most important though, he has been a couple of overs ahead of the play - a must for any captain. Get behind the play or only level and you are courting disaster.
The next most important aspect for Strauss is to have bowling strength behind him, and that is the case with England.
James Anderson improves match by match and Stuart Broad is a splendid young cricketer. Andrew Flintoff's comeback is right on track and, with pace from either Steve Harmison or Graham Onions plus Graeme Swann leading the spin attack, Strauss is looking good.
I'm confident the Australian bowlers will stand up for Ponting, more so having watched Brett Lee's superb bowling at Worcester last Thursday on Sky TV.
Lee is a champion now recovered from injury and Ponting will have been delighted with his pace and reverse swing on an absolutely flat track.
Victory
Ponting has a new team to lead into an Ashes series but recently he led them to victory in South Africa after the Australians had been beaten by Graeme Smith's team in Australia.
That's the mark of a fine captain - able to lead a fight back, not merely to skipper a high class team of winners.
Ponting is also a realist and he is aware of the difficulties now Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath (1,271 Test wickets in 15 years) have gone.
Both Strauss and Ponting need to heed one warning. Captaincy is a reflection of life - 90 per cent luck and 10 per cent skill . . . but don't expect to win without that 10 per cent.
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