Australia has responded positively after Ashes loss

Sunil Gavaskar

The Australians have picked themselves up quite nicely after the loss of the Test series and the Ashes with it. They have won all three of the one-dayers that have been played so far. Of course, the team has players who were not in the Test squad and so do not have the trauma of having lost the series and also the number one ranking in the world and so are playing with a more positive approach and attitude.

The one-day series is also an opportunity for those who did not quite click in the Tests to show that they still have it in them and that the Test form was just one of those things that happen to every player. Michael Clarke who had a great batting series is captaining in the absence of Ricky Ponting who was given leave to visit his young family and should be back by the time this is published.

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Clarke has seized his chance very well indeed and has silenced the doubters about his leadership ability with the three successive wins which now make Australia the favourites to win the seven-match one-day series. Some of the England players are moaning that there shouldn't have been a one-day series after winning the Ashes but make no mistake if they had lost then they too would have been looking forward to the one-day series to try and redeem themselves as the Australians are doing.

They certainly are missing Flintoff and Pietersen and unless they raise their game they may well end up losing all the one dayers. The batting has been quite ordinary and so the Australians have hardly been pushed. Cameron White is a player who Australia expected to take over from Shane Warne as a leg spinner but it is as a batsman now that he is making his mark for Australia.

His quickish leg spinners were never going to be a big worry for the opposition batsmen but like all Australians he is a determined player and wants to make the most of the opportunity given to him. In this series he has been batting up the order and has grabbed the chance to play fifty overs and has been impressively consistent. Mitchell Johnson has also come back to form and is proving what a valuable player he is with both bat and ball as has Shane Watson.

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In Sri Lanka the first one-dayer was a tame affair after Samaraweera got his maiden one-day ton and then Lasith Malinga ran through the Kiwi batting like a hot knife through butter. The Kiwis having lost both the Tests pathetically are looking a ragged lot who are counting the days to go back to their sheep and unless they lift their game they will have their wish to leave Lanka granted sooner than waiting for the finals later.

This week's Ceat international cricketer of the week is Cameron White for his form with the bat culminating in a century in the third one dayer.

Professional Management Group