The defeat to England’s cricket team in the third Test in Adelaide was brutal enough. They went down to Australia by 82 runs on the fifth day of the test match. With this defeat, England falls behind 3-0 in the five-match Ashes series. This latest defeat marks an incredible 18-match winless streak in Australia. With each successive episode, the chance of a 5-0 whitewash increases. This raised immediate concern about the fate of key members of Ornato’s team.
Australia posted a stiff target of 371 runs in the first innings. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey was the star of the show with a career-high score of 106 runs. England’s pace bowler Jofra Archer distinguished himself by taking five wickets for 53 runs, showcasing his skills despite the team’s struggles. England took a lead of 150 runs in scoring 286 runs in their first innings. Captain Ben Stokes went down swinging with a heroic knock of 83. On the flip side, Australia’s bowler Scott Boland was an untouchable destroyer, taking 3 wickets for 45 runs.
Australia picked up right where they left off in the first, scoring 349 more runs in the second. Travis Head was the star with the bat, crashing a magnificent 170-run knock. On the other end, England’s Matt Tongue counter punched by taking four wickets for 70 runs. Confronted by a formidable target, England put up a spirited defence with the bat making 352 in their second innings. Opener Zak Crawley continued to dominate with a blistering score of 85 runs off 119 balls. At the same time, Pat Cummins showed his extraordinary bowling capabilities by getting three wickets for only 48 runs.
England couldn’t withstand the Australian pace attack for long enough. This defeat hands Australia an unassailable lead in the Ashes. For many it casts a shadow of doubt on what the future direction of English cricket should be. This loss represents the fourth straight Ashes tour in which England has dropped the first three Tests. This downward trajectory points to a disturbing divide for the team.
England are enjoying something of a second innings embarrassment in their Ashes series. It would mean they haven’t won in Australia since 2011. Since that year, Australia has never failed to triumph on home soil in the marquee series of the sport, the Ashes. That record will never be broken. England’s ambitious “Bazball” project, aimed at revitalizing their approach to Test cricket, now appears to be in tatters after this latest setback.
As the dust settles on this Test match, focus shifts immediately to England’s hierarchy. England captain Ben Stokes is under increasing scrutiny as tour results heap chaos on his burgeoning prioritization of all-out attacking cricket. Now head coach Brendon McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key will come under close question. The team still doesn’t know how to address its historical issues.
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