BRETT LEE insists that England will crumble if they are put under pressure in the final Test at The Oval.
The Aussie pace ace was in bullish mood despite his side’s three-wicket defeat at Trent Bridge.
Lee insisted their heroic comeback on Sunday was evidence the Aussies can tie the series and retain The Ashes — even though he admits the side had lost some energy and team spirit.
He said: “We have to take away with us the fact that when we put them under the pump, they crumbled to a certain extent.
“Now we have to do that in the first innings at The Oval.
“It has a huge bearing on what can happen if we put them under pressure.
“Our mental state, the way we hunted in packs, the way we reacted when we got wickets — it was like the guys were very close again.
“When you talk about persona and body language on a cricket field, the way we played on Sunday afternoon, to even get close to winning with England chasing 129 to win on a flat wicket, was amazing.
“The energy out there took me back to when Australia were playing their best cricket.
“Now we can be positive going into the final Test — we must take that energy and excitement with us because we’ve got it all to play for.”
Lee admits England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has become his ultimate opponent and insists that, despite Australia being out-played in most of the last three Tests, he has never experienced greater excitement.
He added: “We knew Freddie was world class but he has probably surprised with how hard he hits it and how fast he bowls.
“I love playing against him. We are always having a smile and a wink — because every time I bat or bowl I seem to come up against him and it’s like ‘It’s Groundhog Day’.”
- DAVID KIDD