Inspirational Lehmann’s appointment should help ensure fierce Ashes battle

IF you had asked the average Australian cricket fan three weeks ago what he thought the score would be in the Ashes series the chances are he would have said 5-0.
Andrew Strauss lifting the Ashes Urn in 2011.Andrew Strauss lifting the Ashes Urn in 2011.
Andrew Strauss lifting the Ashes Urn in 2011.

Not 5-0 to Australia, mind, but 5-0 to England.

Some of the more pessimistic Australians – if that is not an oxymoron – might have ventured a 10-0 prediction.

That would have incorporated the series that starts at Trent Bridge on Wednesday with the one that commences Down Under in November, with the sides contesting back-to-back rubbers.

So, what has changed?

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Why are Australians suddenly walking around with more of a spring in their step and the English, if not exactly quaking in their boots, then at least looking a touch more nervously over their shoulders?

The answer, of course, is the appointment as Australia coach of former Yorkshire batsman Darren Lehmann.

It has single-handedly breathed life into the upcoming meetings between the old enemies, meetings which, with all due respect to Australia, had looked as likely to be as biased towards the English as they once were towards the Aussies.

The essential ingredient of any great sporting event – think Ashes 2005 – is that it has to be a proper contest.

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It is no good if one side is all-conquering and the other all over the place; it diminishes the spectacle.

This summer’s series may still prove one-sided towards England but, after Lehmann’s appointment, we cannot be sure.

It could just be the development that galvanises Australia, one that increases their focus and self-belief.

Lehmann’s appointment, in succession to the South African Mickey Arthur, has at least given England plenty to think about.

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The vast majority of Australians are right behind him and believe his old school approach is what the team needs.

As Australia’s Sun Herald put it: “He smokes and loves a beer, he chats, he’s accessible, he speaks a language cricketers understand.”

If some of those qualities might seem a tad incongruous given the indiscipline that has bedevilled Australia of late, not least when David Warner punched Yorkshire’s Joe Root in a Birmingham bar, they overlook a fundamental point.

For Lehmann belongs to an era in which players relied on instinct and comradeship rather than sports psychology and performance reviews; his mantra is that cricket is a game – a philosophy rarely heard amid the cut-and-thrust of international competition.

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Jason Gillespie, the Yorkshire first-team coach and a former team-mate of Lehmann’s, believes Australia’s chances have greatly increased with his friend’s appointment.

“As a man-manager, Darren is absolutely top-drawer,” said Gillespie.

“He knows how to deal with players and just what it takes to get the best out of each individual.

“Everyone knows that he’s a sociable guy and that he likes a drink and there’s no doubt he’ll bring a lot of fun and enjoyment to the group. But, make no mistake, he won’t put up with any rubbish and players will be held accountable for their performances.”

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Lehmann, 43, was one of the greatest batsmen in Yorkshire’s history.

He scored 8,871 first-class runs for the county between 1997 and 2006 at the remarkable average of 68.76.

Lehmann’s coaching CV includes a recent spell in charge of Australia A after some splendid performances at domestic level.

He won trophies with Queensland and Brisbane Heat and has also coached Deccan Chargers and Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League.

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As one would expect from a man who, like Gillespie, was part of an all-conquering Australia side, Lehmann is also a winner.

At Yorkshire, no cause was ever lost with him in the side, no position seemingly too hopeless.

Lehmann’s up-and-at-’em approach will rub off on the Australian players and increase their pride in playing for their country.

Pre-Lehmann, Australia were likely to have got thumped this summer; with him on board, there is just a chance they could throw a few punches themselves – and not those of the sort dished out by Warner.

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In many ways, we are about to find out the true value of a coach.

Is it, as Shane Warne famously said, something that transports you to and from the ground, or something more?

At the highest level of professional competition, you do not so much need a coach as a man-manager.

That is why Australians are so excited by Lehmann’s appointment, why they believe he is the man to turn around their fortunes.

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Of course, changing the coach does not answer the key question for Australia going into the series: namely, who is going to score their runs?

The bowling department looks pretty useful; the likes of pace man Mitchell Starc – who gained valuable experience of English conditions with Yorkshire last summer – could be one of the stars of the series, but there appears a gulf in class between the batting line-ups.

Unless Australia can find the men to knuckle down and make big hundreds, as opposed to attractive cameos, they are going to struggle.

As such, it is essential the top-order collectively support captain Michael Clarke, the only world-class batsman in Australia’s line-up.

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Lehmann’s appointment, however, has given the Aussies a fighting chance.

One has only to think back to 1989, when Australia were similarly written off beforehand only to win 4-0, to appreciate how quickly things can change in professional sport.

Back then, Allan Border – stung by successive defeats in 1985 and 1986-87 – instilled a hard-nosed mentality that formed the bedrock of the great sides that followed.

Suddenly, there was no more fraternising with the opposition and chummy acceptance of defeat, but a complete commitment to winning.

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One incident during that series summed up Border’s attitude.

Robin Smith, the England batsman, asked the Australian captain whether he could have a glass of water.

“No you f****** can’t,” barked Border.

“What do you think this is, a f****** tea party?”

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