In cricket history, one of the challenging, and most closely fought battles is the Ashes between Australia and England. Both the teams are heavily desperate to win the series and the well-known Ashes urn home with them, has led to some outstanding achievements over the years. Unbeatable fans of both the rivalry teams have been spoilt in total entertainment. Although cricket is played as a team game, some players and fans have taken specific Ashes matches by the scruff of the neck and imposed their own will upon them. Let’s take a look at the ten best Australian players in the Ashes:
10. Arthur Morris
Arthur Morris is undoubtedly one of Australia's best players, acknowledged as being regarded as Australia's incredible team of the 20th century. Arthur is a graceful left-hander, who elegantly flayed his opposition around the stadium with as much style as anyone in the Ashes.
9. Dennis Lillee
Dennis was the perfect bowler of his generation, a combative and lethal cricketer who powered up Australia's collective mentality throughout his entire cricketing career. In the starting days, he had frightening speed and hostility; Lillee was pressured to become a craftier player as persistent injuries limited his sheer pace after 1973.
8. Ray Lindwall
Ray Lindwall is a pioneer of modern fast bowling; steaming in was a thing of beauty in the middle of the 20th century. Ray rose through the scores to become the superstar of fast bowling in the Australian cricket team when England arrived Down Under for the Ashes series of 1946-47.
7. Steve Waugh
Steve's place in the hearts and minds of fans of Australia was cleared when he bravely fought and made 157 runs, still not out with a badly torn calf muscle in 2001 at The Oval. That same spirit had again appeared when Steve stroked an unforgettable century in Sydney in 2003.
6. Glenn McGrath
Only a handful of players have ever owned a stranglehold over an opponent as Glenn McGrath did with England. Glen's 157 wickets in Ashes are second on Australia's list, while his fantastic average of 20.92 is the most prominent mark among his contemporaries.
5. David Boon
Intent on breaking the record of 44-can which was set by Doug Walters and Rod Marsh, David made his way into the Australian pathway by completing a 52-can effort in less than 24 hours, only days before the start of Australia's tour. David made 442 runs at an average of 55.25, just too evident that his strategy was as resilient as his liver.
4. Bill Woodfull
Bill Woodfull is the cricketer of the Australian cricket team, significantly a true gentleman of the cricket, fervently opposed the tactics used by England during the Bodyline series in 1932-33 in Australia. Even more appreciable was Bill's refusal to use the same tactics in return.
3. Allan Border
Allan is widely regarded as the charming figure responsible for Australia's cricket revival at the end of the 1980s. Thus, Allan became a ruthless leader, who changed Australia's attitude and application in Test cricket by setting up brutal standards and mentality within the whole cricket team that transformed the Australian cricket team into a global cricketing powerhouse.
2. Shane Warne
Shane Warne's appearance in Ashes cricket—the "Gatting ball" at Old Trafford in 1993 was simply a spectacular preview to an aspiring career, a cricketing career that not only transformed Australia to the summit of world cricket but also revolutionized the whole cricket at the same time.
1. Sir Donald Bradman
Sir Donald Bradman is the most significant and finest cricket player of all time. Sir Bradman scored 5,028 runs in the record of The Ashes, his 19 Ashes centuries are out of sight from the following best, and his batting average is entirely astonishing. Bradman had an unbeatable list of achievements that is only dwarfed by the extent of his impact on this sport, which is still being felt today.
