aussie
Hall of Fame Member
I have always felt ENG may still have won or a drawn series. Just like IND 2001 where AUS batsmen where exposed technically to spin with AUS full-strenght attack playing. The same say ENGs batsmen exposed AUS batsmen to quality swing bowling in Ashes 05.It's good to see people debating so vigorously on the definition of number 1.
Regarding injuries and hence facing teams not at full strength does that mean Australia wins the Ashes in 2005 at 1-0 as McGrath was injured during in the tests the Aussies lost in that series?
Anyway hypotheticals are just that hypotheticals, India are officially number 1 according to the ICC with the rankings being based on performances over the last 2-3 years.
It will be good if this proposed ICC Test championship gets underway, then hopefully the status of number 1 will be more clearly defined.
So thus even if McGrath was full fit throughout to support Warne, which would have made the series scores low scoring. The lack of consistent enough support from the rest of the attack may have on key occassion enabled ENG to score extra key runs, where as ENG quicks basically had no weak links & gave AUS bats nothing. That may have swung the series ENGs way still.