Yorkshire coach expects tight tussle in 2015
Ashes no walk in the park: Gillespie
“Write off England at your own peril,” says former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie ahead of the 2015 Ashes in the UK.
Head coach of county champions Yorkshire, Gillespie has spent the last two years nurturing some of England’s best young talent and turning them into world beaters.
Under Gillespie, Yorkshire batsmen Joe Root and Gary Ballance have blossomed into consistent Test performers; fast bowler Liam Plunkett returned to the Test arena for the first time in seven years; and 27-year-old opening batsman Adam Lyth finished the first-class season as the leading run-scorer.
And while he’s successfully been upskilling the enemy, Gillespie is “first and foremost an Australian and a fan of Australian cricket”, and believes England’s youth is where Australia’s major challenge rests.
“They’re not as bad a side as the one that lost 5-0 in Australia,” the 39-year-old told cricket.com.au.
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“A lot of things that didn’t go England’s way out there. There were a lot of things going on.
“The team I’ve seen playing over here against India, against Sri Lanka - although they lost to Sri Lanka - I see a side that puts up a bit of a fight, they’ve got a bit about them.
“There’s still a bit of work to do – they’re still a work in progress, there’s no question of that.
“But what’s really pleasing is a number of young lads in this England side that I think are very skilful cricketers with good heads on their shoulders.
“I think in time, if they’re given time by the England selectors I’m confident they’ll come good.
“In next year’s Ashes, everyone’s talking about Australia coming over and it’ll be a bloodbath, I certainly don’t see it that way at all.
“Australia will deservedly start as favourites, rightly so, but I don’t think it’s going to be a walk in the park.
“I know Darren Lehmann very well, and Michael Clarke, and they won’t be taking England lightly and they’ll be working really hard and planning hard for the series over here.”
Australia left the UK last September as 3-0 Ashes losers despite many believing the two sides were closer than the emphatic scoreline suggested.
One area that England's pace attack exploited in the UK, and one that still causes the occasional panic today, was Australia's inability to counter the swinging ball, either traditional swing against a new ball or reverse swing versus an old one.
Twice in the past 13 Tests Australia have lost nine wickets in a session to lose a match, both times at the hands of pace bowlers generating lethal reverse swing at high velocity.
While Australia has improved against the moving ball in general over the past 12 months, Gillespie says the red ball will still be swinging when Michael Clarke’s men travel to the UK in 2015, but he does have an antidote.
“What you’ve got to remember is you’re playing with a different cricket ball over here, a Duke cricket ball,” the Gillespie said.
“The England bowlers, particularly the seam bowling attack bowl better in these conditions. The likes of Jimmy Anderson for instance, is a fantastic bowler in these conditions.
“Australia have had issues with the ball moving off the straight. Not so much the seaming ball, it’s the ball that loops through the air.
“To play the ball late is important in these conditions. The guys that are successful have very decisive movements, they get into really good positions, and play the ball that fraction later.”
One Australian that has made the necessary adjustments to counter the seam friendly conditions England offers is T20 captain Aaron Finch, who played under Gillespie at Headingley this season.
Quick Single: Finch ready for Tests: Gillespie
In five first-class games for Yorkshire, Finch scored 291 runs at 48.50 including one century, showing the coach how a player can successfully adapt his game to foreign conditions in a short space of time.
“A really good example has been Aaron Finch,” he said.
“He’s come over here playing against the Duke cricket ball on wickets that have been in favour of the bowlers.
“He learnt a lot. He learnt about playing the ball a little bit later, a bit more under his eyes and making sure his footwork was sharp.”
And Gillespie says the Victorian wouldn’t look out of place on next year’s Ashes tour if his form and technique continue to improve.
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“For him it was great experience. It’s certainly going to help him this summer in Australia playing for Victoria when he gets those opportunities to play Sheffield Shield cricket,” Gillespie said.
“I think he’s a really good talent and if he has a good season with Victoria, when the opportunities present themselves.
“I know with the programme he’s going to have limited opportunities to represent Victoria, but if he does get chances and takes them with both hands I don’t see why someone like him couldn’t be on that Ashes tour over here playing a part.”