Ashes 2013-14: 'Hunger for Ashes success is spurring Australia on' - Shane Watson

 
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3 December 2013

Australia are using the pain of recent Ashes defeats as a driving force in the current series as they attempt to get the better of England for the first time in seven years.

England have won the last three contests and four of the last five, but find themselves 1-0 down after their 381-run mauling in the First Test in Brisbane, with the second match starting at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday.

Of the Australian side, only captain Michael Clarke knows the joy of Ashes victory, whereas England have two four-time winners – Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen – in their likely side, and five other players who have claimed the urn on three occasions.

Shane Watson is a regular target for England sledging but he believes that home advantage, and the thirst for success, is a far more powerful weapon than any verbal taunt Jimmy Anderson and company might aim in his direction.

“We’re certainly very hungry,” he said. “We haven’t enjoyed losing to the English over the last three series. A number of us have been involved in those games, and we’re certainly extremely driven to do whatever we possibly can to be able to win this Ashes series.

“There’s no doubt it means a hell of a lot to us as a team, to Australian cricket, and to everyone. You can really feel what it means to the Australian public as well. In Brisbane, it was the most support I’ve ever felt from a crowd. It was absolutely extraordinary.

“It was an incredible feeling. We just need to stay on that roll. There are a lot of people who want us to perform well, and it certainly gives us that extra drive to be able to do whatever we can.

“In terms of the verbal contest in the middle, that’s what I love about playing. That battle is what international cricket is all about and, whether I’m batting or bowling, it gets me going. There are certain players it can work for and others it can work against and it’s about finding the perfect balance.”

Watson believes he has recovered sufficiently from a hamstring problem to be able to take on a heavy bowling workload here, after he sent down only two overs at the Gabba, both in England’s second innings. With only three days’ break scheduled between this game and the Third Test in Perth, Watson’s role will be to ease the strain on quicks Ryan Harris, Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle.

But the all-rounder offered some encouragement to the England attack when he admitted that he was still vulnerable to being out lbw when playing on the front foot.

England dismissed Watson four times in this fashion as they won last summer’s series 3-0, with Watson also appearing flummoxed at how best to use the Decision Review System.

On a drop-in pitch that groundsman Damian Hough expects to be far slower and lower than Brisbane, Watson knows England will seek again to expose this flaw in his game.

“Is this pitch an acid test of my technique? Definitely, and there have been acid tests over the last six months,” he said. “I’ve been working extremely hard every day I’ve been training to be able to give myself the best chance of getting over that problem.

“It doesn’t mean it’s totally gone but I’m doing everything I can to try to limit that mode of dismissal. The conditions are going to be a little bit more like English ones with the lower bounce in the wicket.

“Hopefully DRS won’t come into play too much but if it does, I’m going to have to make sure I use it better than I have in the past.”

A similar bowler to Watson, Tim Bresnan performs well on surfaces that are good for batting and he is confident his return to fitness will give England a boost as they attempt to fight their way back into the series. The seam bowler added: “I am quite a positive bloke and a positive player and hopefully coming back into the squad gives the lads a lift.”

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