England looks to reduce Oz to 'ashes'

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For cricket lovers who grew up in a era where Australia had refused to take defeat lying down, this is certainly a new sight for them. After the 0-4 drubbing against India, the Aussies is in the forefront of yet another humiliating series loss. Its fighting spirit and never-say-die attitude have taken a hit if not burnt to 'ashes'.
As England gets ready to complete the annihilation of the visitors, Australia must get their act together as there is still a lot to play for in the fifth and final Ashes Test at The Oval that begins on Wednesday.  England had a decent series except for the third Test when rain came to its rescue. England's batting line-up has done its job with someone or the other taking the responsibility of bailing the team out of trouble.
Ian Bell has been fantastic with the bat guiding the lower order in putting up crucial runs. It has helped openers and top-order batsmen to bat with much more freedom.  Although Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott have had a poor series, Kevin Pietersen has taken on the role of anchor, showing glimpses of brilliance with the bat. All the three are due for a big score which the Australians should be well aware of.
The England bowling has been outstanding as well. Each bowler has contributed to the team's cause by picking up wickets at crucial junctures. 
Meanwhile, Australian skipper Michael Clarke has his hands full. His job is not only to motivate the young team to give its best in such trying times, but also to pick up the best playing XI, which has been more of a challenge for the Aussies this summer.
Mitchel Starc looks a better bowling option and along with Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle will add variety to the attack with Nathan Lyon being the only decent spinning option.
The Australian batting has looked out of sorts this series with players coming up with good performances only in patches. The batsmen need to be more consistent if they want to entertain any hopes of restoring their lost pride. 
Overall, the Aussies have thrown in the towel far too many times in the series, something which does not go down well with their sporting culture down under. Let's hope that the Oz makes it look like an Ashes Test and not any other Test which unfortunately has been the case for most part of the summer.