The Ashes: Alastair Cook and Michael Clarke, a tale of two skippers

On the 10th of July this year, the oldest rivalry in the purest form of the game shall resume on the cricket field. England and Australia face-off once again in a battle for Ashes glory. Over a period of 47 days constituting 5 Tests, these two teams shall lock horns, a tradition that is nothing short of sacred since the "Death of English Cricket" back in 1882. It was this loss that triggered a long standing rivalry that is considered a riveting battle on the pitch.

As these two armies unveil their arsenal ahead of the first Test at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, the best way to assess their strengths is to take a look at the men in charge - the generals who lead their armies into the war zone. For the next 6 weeks or so, the responsibility of shouldering their respective teams through the most grueling Test series in their careers as captains, rests on them - Alastair Cook of England and Michael Clarke of Australia.

The two cricketers have in the recent past been synonymous with consistent scoring and inspirational leadership. Neither of them are even a decade old in Test cricket but in a short span of time, have achieved great success both personally and at the helm of their team. They both took over their respective teams during a rebuilding phase and come into the Ashes series in contrasting situations. England come from a convincing series win over New Zealand whereas Australia were whitewashed on a torrid tour of India. But to get a grip of who has the edge, one must go back to where it all started for them.

Cook made his Test debut in 2006 against India in Nagpur. A solid 60 in the first innings was followed by a commanding century in the second.

Clarke's baptism into Test cricket came much earlier, when Australia embarked on their tour of India in 2004. In his very first innings, Clarke hit a fluent 151 and the way he handled the likes of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh on the turning pitch of Bangalore showed that he had what it took to compete at the top level. Both progressed as players, both faced tough times and both conquered their troubles. One became arguably England's best opener in recent times while the other formed the bedrock of Australia's famed middle order.

After Australia's elimination from the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, the selectors needed a suitable successor to replace Ricky Ponting at the helm. They found the perfect candidate in Michael Clarke and he was appointed captain. Clarke had initial hiccups that saw his team get bundled out for 47 against South Africa and lose a Test to New Zealand after 26 years. The whitewash of India at home though put his campaign back on track. Captaincy seemed to elevate his form to a new level as 2012 saw Clarke score 4 double hundreds in a calendar year, a feat no other cricketer has been able to emulate.

Alastair Cook was handed the captaincy of the Test team when Andrew Strauss stepped down after the home series loss to South Africa. Cook already had the reins in the fifty-over format in 2011 but now was his biggest challenge as England embarked on the tour of India, a country where they had not won a Test series since 1984-85. Their campaign got off to the worst possible start with a 9 wicket loss in the first game despite Cook's dogged 176. However, what followed was a furious response from England as Cook led from the front with knocks of 122 and 190 and they turned the tables to take the series 2-1.

England come into this series as overwhelming favourites. Their batting is solid and they have a well balanced bowling unit. Australia, on the other hand, have a relatively inexperienced batting and bowling line-up. It will be up to Cook and Clarke to use their resources to the full and lead by example. Both are not just leaders of teams but are leaders of men.

Clarke faces the task of getting together a fresh bunch of players while Cook has the responsiblity of guiding his team against their rivals. While Clarke is more expressive, Cook's eyes give nothing away on the field. What is for certain is that these two men have their entire country, respectively, backing them and the result in this series could make or break their careers. Cook has only played 3 Ashes series, while Clarke has played 4. But experience counts for little in a fight of such epic proportions. These men are out to answer their detractors and given the impact of an Ashes series, both have everything to gain and a lot to lose.

What is common between the two is that they are respected by the men they command. Cook won over his team by performance and results while Clarke showed his grit in times of adversity. They are the best men for the job and every decision they make in the course of the series is bound to effect the final outcome.