Pressure is on England: Katich by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Player:	SM Katich
Event:	Australia in British Isles 2009

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DateLine: 16th August 2009

 

Australia opener Simon Katich said all the pressure will be on England when the fifth Ashes Test gets underway at The Oval next week. Australia's win at Headingley to tie the series 1-1 leaves the tourists needing only a draw in the last Test to retain the Ashes.

 

After an abject display in the fourth Test saw them scrape just 16 runs between them, England's middle-order is in disarray this time around and changes look increasingly inevitable ahead of the crucial clash.

 

Australia on the other hand have improved drastically from where they started and look to have apparently covered all their troubles that hampered their performances earlier in the series.

 

"It's nice at this point in time to be going 1-1 into the final Test, given that we have won the last Test and played so convincingly," Katich said.

 

"Now the pressure is on them to pick a team first and see how they respond.

 

"I think the difference (between 2005) is that we were going in under different circumstances," added Katich.

 

"Last time we were sort of scrounging our way through the series fighting to stay in games - and I know in the third Test we hung on for a draw, the fourth Test we lost, so the momentum was well and truly with England.

 

"This time round we've managed to get it back late at Edgbaston and now winning so well at Headingley.

 

"But that means nothing. It all depends how we start day one, so that's going to be the key now, making sure we go out there and start well.

 

"We saw at Lord's, we didn't start well there and we paid the price."