LONDON, Sept 3: Australia fast bowler Michael Kasprowicz hopes his side can draw inspiration from legendary boxer Muhammad Ali and deliver a knockout blow to England’s hopes of regaining the Ashes at The Oval next week.

Australia trail 2-1 in the five-match series with England scenting a first Ashes series win in 18 years.

But Kasprowicz said the fact that both of England’s wins had been nail-biting affairs — by two runs in the second Test at Edgbaston and, most recently, by three wickets at Trent Bridge — gave Australia hope of squaring the series and so retaining the Ashes they’ve held since 1989.

Former Essex seamer Kasprowicz, speaking on Friday ahead of the tourists’ two-day warm-up game against his old county, said the position his side were in was similar to that of Ali when he fought fellow American George Foreman for the world heavyweight title in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, in 1974 — a fight that was billed as the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’.

“No one likes losing and we’ve gained a lot by the fact that we’ve taken games pretty close,” he said.

“We found ourselves fighting from behind, certainly in the last Test.

“There is a slight analogy of the situation in Zaire in 1974, the Rumble in the Jungle, when I suppose the considered ageing Ali found himself on the ropes and had copped all that Foreman had - but he knew that he had more in his tank and he just needed to deliver that final punch.

“Now is the time for us to come off the ropes,” said Kasprowicz.

However, Ali’s ‘rope-a-dope’ ploy was a deliberate tactic whereas the position Australia find themselves in is not where they would have wanted to be come the final Test of the series.

Even so 33-year-old Kasprowicz, who played in both of England’s victories in place of the injured Glenn McGrath, said Ricky Ponting’s men could still turn it to their advantage.

“We are going into that final Test knowing we have to win so it’s a good situation for us to be in.

“We like to play attacking cricket and will be going flat out hoping that England might falter.

“If you think about just drawing a game, it can go against you.”

Meanwhile, England, who are due to announce their squad on Sunday, will hope that Simon Jones is passed fit.

If the Glamorgan quick is given the all-clear following a right ankle injury sustained at Trent Bridge it will enable England to field the same eleven in all five matches of an Ashes series for the first time in over a century.

Hampshire seamer Chris Tremlett, whose big match temperament was being tested by his county’s appearance in Saturday’s C and G final against Warwickshire at Lord’s, is next in line having been named in all four Ashes squads this series.

“It’s a great opportunity if Simon isn’t fit for someone to come into the team and make a real name for themselves,” said captain Michael Vaughan.

“Chris Tremlett has been in the squad this summer and he has a great opportunity this weekend to show everybody what he can do in the final.”—AFP