‘The Ashes’ a series of Test Match Cricket that defines a historic rivalry. It is between Australia and England, the origin of cricket. This year the Ashes is taking placing in Australia but it is not fixed the Ashes take only place at Australia, every other year the venue changes. The series starts from 21st November.
Why Is the Test Match Series Between England And Australia Called The Ashes?
The Ashes have always been the most talked about and long standing rivalries in the history of world cricket, with England and Australia fighting over a series of Test matches, and this rivalry lasted for more than a century. ‘Ashes’ was a name given to it from the 1882 ironic obituary published in The Sporting Times which, weirdly enough, came after the English team had lost a Test match at its own ground. The ironic headline announced the death of English cricket and its ‘ashes’ would henceforth be sent to Australia. England’s sending off was not too far after, and during that trip, Ivo Bligh, the captain, was awarded a tiny urn that came to symbolize the Ashes rivalry, that urn now.
The Ashes series have been established as a custom, taking place approximately every two years, with one country getting to host the series followed by the other. Normally, the tournament is made up of five Test matches where the whole event from the beginning to the end lasts about five days for each match. Plus a series is done, and the winning team gets a copy of the small clay urn while the original one is kept in the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) museum at Lords, London. The competition has lasted for over a century and has been the stage for some of the most dramatic and controversial episodes in cricket history everything from the ‘Bodyline’ series in the early 1930s to Shane Warne’s hailed ‘Ball of the Century’ in 1993.
The Ashes In Contemporary Times
The 2005 Ashes series is still regarded as one of the finest ever indeed, perhaps the most thrilling moment of the Ashes was this particular series. With the daring all rounder Ian Botham at the helm, England launched a spectacular comeback, took the series by winning it, and with that, the old rivalry was alive again. On the other hand, Australia had its own unforgettable instances, the likes of which were the magic of spin wizard Shane Warne’s killer turners and the classic fast bowling duels that have already become part of cricket mythology.
The Ashes preserve their excitement in modern times, and the surrounding stories are as captivating as ever. Australia is still the possessor of the urn, having secured it in their latest home series against England. However, England is demonstrating with Ben Stokes at its helm and Brendon McCullum as its coach that it is not afraid to go for the Ashes once more. McCullum has announced that his attacking ‘Bazball’ style England team can battle Australia ‘man for man’ and take home the biggest trophy in Test cricket.
The Ashes, with all its tradition and glory, are a huge burden for the visiting team at the same time. The world’s cricket fans are all set to witness another thrilling battle between the Ashes holders and the challengers. The urn is no more just a piece of memorabilia, it is a symbol of history, pride and one of the most heated rivalries in sports. This year Team Australia will be lead by Steve Smith and Team England by Ben Stokes.
Also Read: The Ashes 2025: Check Full Schedule, Squads, Live Streaming In India
