Dean Jones calls for Sachin-type fervour from Oz fans in bid to wrest Ashes

Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones has called on the Australian fans to follow the lead of the Indian cricket fans and get behind their team during the Ashes and show some Australian spirit.

Jones cited the example of the celebrations of the Indian fans during batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar penultimate Test, and quipped that anyone mentioning a bad word against Tendulkar will cop the wrath of 1.2 billion fans, even though they can be quite critical at other times.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the cricket pundit called on the Australian fans to follow the example of the Indian fans and also urged the media to show some positivity to bolster the Australian players and make the English team as uncomfortable as possible.

Hailing spin legend Shane Warne, who has been bashing the England team recently, for speaking out his mind, Jones also said that although he does not want the fans to start sledging and outdo the Barmy Army in their cheering, he wants them to make sure that England team fears them whenever they make a mistake.

Jones also said he believes that the Australian media can be a valuable cog in helping the team to win, adding that Cricket Australia (CA) should also get proactive and get the players active in the media, drumming up support at every opportunity.

According to Jones, there are many positives for the Australian fans like the improving forms of Shane Watson, George Bailey, Peter Siddle and Mitchell Johnson, captain Michael Clarke's positive fitness issues, David Warner realising responsibility and many others.