AUSSIES EXORCISE 2005 DEMONS

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Ponting and Gilchrist celebrate.

By Andrew Ramsey

Barely an hour after Shane Warne had clinched the return of the Ashes to Australia's grasp, a call came through to the WACA press box from a senior player within the victorious dressing rooms.

"It took us 18 years to lose them, and 15 days to win them back,'' cackled the voice above the din of a full-scale party.

"And you can quote me on that.''

For the Australian players who were involved in the national embarrassment of the 2005 loss, regaining the tiny trophy had become a personal mission.

The scenes of revelry that preceded Warne sneaking a leg break through Monty Panesar's defence two minutes after lunch were as much an exorcism as they were unbridled euphoria.

Although Ricky Ponting and his team-mates from the 2005 touring party had played down the notion of redemption from this campaign, there was no doubting that it meant more than the simple changing of hands for a small, terracotta urn.

As Ponting revealed when he broke from the celebrations to address a media conference this afternoon, the planning for this win had begun less than a fortnight after the vanquished squad returned from England in September last year.

The inadequacies from the 2-1 defeat to Michael Vaughan's team were identified in a frank meeting that involved all of Cricket Australia's nationally contracted players, team officials and administrators.

Plans to remedy the shortcomings that led to the loss (such as the lack of expert advice for struggling bowlers the likes of Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz) were laid.

CA gave its approval for additional support staff, the likes of England's Australian-born bowling guru Troy Cooley, to be included in the touring party.

It was not just a long-term plan to regain the Ashes. It was a blueprint to ensure the inadequacies of 2005 never re-appeared.

The Ashes were simply a by-product of what the team, under Ponting's stewardship, wanted to achieve. The loss in England had awakened the hunger in every one of them, including the oft-ridiculed `Dad's Army' veterans.

It's no surprise to Ponting or anyone involved in the team's inner sanctum since that 2005 England tour that Australia has won 14 of the 15 Tests it has played since The Oval in September, 2005.

The exception was a draw against South Africa in Perth a year ago.

During that period it has also contested (and won) limited-overs tournaments in New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh, Malaysia and (most recently) the ICC Champions Trophy in India.

Much has been made of the weaknesses in England's selection policies and performances during this series, and there is no question the tourists have let themselves down badly at key times during the first three Tests.

But they have not been allowed to play at their 2005 level by the ruthlessly professional Australians whose character and ability was questioned for more than a year leading into the first Test in Brisbane.

And as the partying players were keen to make it known, those doubts have now been officially erased in the space of just 15 days' cricket.