Australia (303 & 155) defeat England (188 & 124) to win 5th Test by 146 runs - Take series 4-0

[Nikhil_cric]

Are you Silverwood,
Are you Silverwood,
Are you Silverwood in disguise (in disguise)
Are you Silverwood in disguise?

Whenever hes bowled good length or fuller, he has never done well. Even in SA, he bowled fast and slightly short of a length to find a lot of success.

 

[James]

Poor series for Root

322 runs @ 32.20. I would say average rather than poor.

 

[Manunited18]

Theres a good chance Australia will wrap this up tonight! Once again pathetic batting from England. 68-0 to 106-6

 

[Manunited18]

107-7, pope the mental midget has had ample chances yet he rarely delivers!

 

[Nikhil_cric]

People were calling for Bayliss' head and the same folks are calling for Silverwood's head. The bitter truth is that the English system simply cannot produce high quality test cricketers. Bayliss was a very good coach .

There was nothing wrong with him. He just can't make quality from nothing.

 

[Rajdeep]

Eng should have won this game after the start they got. Very dissappointing.

 

[Varun]

If it hadn't rained at the SCG, this would have been 5-zip.

 

[Varun]

Khallas. It's all over.

 

[AAli98]

Wata boring dull uninspiring series..

 

[Nikhil_cric]

If it hadn't rained at the SCG, this would have been 5-zip.

Easily . More than 50 overs were lost in that game. 4-0 flatters England. This should have been a whitewash .

Australia now #1 in the rankings I think.

 

[Last Monetarist]

So it ends 4-0:

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/u54t54" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>

 

[MenInG]

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/503wfa" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>

Things went bad to worse.

 

[boomboomcheema]

England

 

[MenInG]

 

[Manunited18]

England lost 10 wickets in hour and a half! That is spineless!

 

[asadee]

Complete surrender

 

[Robert]

322 runs @ 32.20. I would say average rather than poor.

Not a great series for 66, but the weight of carrying the batting was bound to hurt him eventually. He’s been doing it since Cook finished and arguably even for a while before that.

I’m almost relieved at the 0-4. Losing 1-3 might have given Silverwood a chance to cling on. 0-4 (with the narrowest escape in the fourth test) means that the ECB will be forced to make meaningful change so that we start producing test match batters again.

 

[Varun]

What a waste of a 5-test series.

India - South Africa or even New Zealand - Bangladesh could have taken a test more apiece and it wouldn't have made a difference to the Ashes.

 

[Robert]

People were calling for Bayliss' head and the same folks are calling for Silverwood's head. The bitter truth is that the English system simply cannot produce high quality test cricketers. Bayliss was a very good coach .

There was nothing wrong with him. He just can't make quality from nothing.

He was a very good ODI coach.

He didn’t understand test match batting, didn’t understand that the bowling gets on top sometimes and the batters have to dig in and wear them out, instead told England to blast their way out of trouble which is why they kept getting out for 80.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Shambolic end to a shambles of a tour. England should have cried off for covid and not toured and saved themselves from embarrassment.

 

[James]

Not a great series for 66, but the weight of carrying the batting was bound to hurt him eventually. He’s been doing it since Cook finished and arguably even for a while before that.

I’m almost relieved at the 0-4. Losing 1-3 might have given Silverwood a chance to cling on. 0-4 (with the narrowest escape in the fourth test) means that the ECB will be forced to make meaningful change so that we start producing test match batters again.

Yep, 1-3 would have been framed as an honourable loss and the underlying rot would have been allowed to fester on for another couple of years, but 0-4 with these batting collapses leaves no room for doubt that massive changes are required.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">England today:<br><br>68 for 0 from 16 overs<br>124 all out from 38.5 overs<br><br>56 for 10 in the space of 22.5 overs<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvsENG?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvsENG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1482669792851021827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Nikhil_cric]

He was a very good ODI coach.

He didn’t understand test match batting, didn’t understand that the bowling gets on top sometimes and the batters have to dig in and wear them out, instead told England to blast their way out of trouble which is why they kept getting out for 80.

Silver wood is a coach who does emphasise spending more time at the crease and more defensive batting. How do you explain the batting failures under him, then?

Time to face it. No coach will make a difference to this side.

 

[Robert]

Yep, 1-3 would have been framed as an honourable loss and the underlying rot would have been allowed to fester on for another couple of years, but 0-4 with these batting collapses leaves no room for doubt that massive changes are required.

At least in 2018 we had the excuse that the wrong bowling attack had been picked. But this time the bowling unit did well.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Poor batting let England down. England needs to sort out it’s batting line up very soon.

 

[Markhor]

Congratulations Australia.

You won't be seeing a blade of grass on the pitches though if you come to Pakistan in two months time

 

[Manunited18]

At least in 2018 we had the excuse that the wrong bowling attack had been picked. But this time the bowling unit did well.

To be honest in big moments the bowling has let England down on this tour. In every test England let Australia get to many, first innings of this test a prime example, Australia 12-3 yet went on to get 300 . Australian attack has been ruthless every time.

 

[MenInG]

Australia completed a remarkable series win, bowling out England for 124 on day three of the fifth Test in Hobart.

England openers put on their first half-century stand in the series, but the rest of the line-up couldn't muster much as Australia sealed a 146-run win in Hobart in the fifth and final Test.

Australia resumed from a tricky position at the end of day two and lost further wickets early in the day with none of their top seven batters crossing 30.

Mark Wood dismissed nightwatchman Scott Boland early and then sent back Travis Head and Steven Smith in back-to-back overs to leave Australia reeling at 63/6. Cameron Green, who would later play a telling role with the ball, and Alex Carey resurrected the innings with a crucial 49-run stand.

The partnership lifted Australia's lead to a reasonable position, but England pulled things back a bit when Green and Mitchell Starc were dismissed in quick succession, the latter's wicket giving Mark Wood his first five-wicket haul in the Ashes.

Carey wasn't done, though, and he and Pat Cummins gave Australia more cushion with 30 crucial runs before Carey was caught behind off Stuart Broad's bowling one short of a half-century. Wood completed formalities to restrict Australia's lead and England were left with 271 runs to chase in the final innings.

Rory Burns and Zak Crawley reversed the trend by putting on a half-century stand, one that wouldn't have been had Australia taken an early review against Burns. The 68-run opening stand put England on course for chasing the target down, a possibility that appeared very realistic until Green struck thrice in his first five overs to reduce England to 83/3.

Burns was the first to go, trying to leave one from Green, only for it to ricochet off his bat to clatter the stumps. Dawid Malan followed suit, chopping one back onto the stumps against Green, who had troubled him in the lead up to the dismissal. Green then ended Crawley's innings with one that seamed away to catch the outside edge.

Joe Root and Ben Stokes joined hands to revive England's chase, but the latter fell to a short ball from Mitchell Starc and England's hopes plummeted.

Scott Boland then got into the act, dismissing Root for the fourth time in the series. The England captain was a tad unlucky to receive one that stayed low and went beneath his bat to crash into the stumps. Sam Billings chipped one to mid-on off Boland soon after and Cummins cleaned up Ollie Pope to leave England at 107/7.

Chris Woakes, Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson were dismissed in the space of six balls as England went from 82/1 to 124 all out, conceding the match by 146 runs. Australia sealed their first series win under skipper Pat Cummins, a thumping 4-0 victory to retain the urn.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2450633

 

[MenInG]

 

[Buffet]

The horrible end for horrible series here.

 

[sweep_shot]

Australia are #1 in Test again. Well done.

 

[Joseph Gomes]

How do people find Ashes entertaining? It's an embarassing borefest even with the history behind it. It being a tradition doesn't hold up to me.

And lol @ anybody comparing this joke to World Cup.

 

[sweep_shot]

How do people find Ashes entertaining? It's an embarassing borefest even with the history behind it. It being a tradition doesn't hold up to me.

And lol @ anybody comparing this joke to World Cup.

I like it when both teams are equal in terms of strength.

England currently are not very good in Test. It is why Ashes is boring currently.

 

[Manunited18]

How do people find Ashes entertaining? It's an embarassing borefest even with the history behind it. It being a tradition doesn't hold up to me.

And lol @ anybody comparing this joke to World Cup.

The best series I've ever seen was the 2005 Ashes series, the quality was unmatched, tension, the whole country was glued to it, so for me Ashes series are unmatched. Unfortunately due to the pandemic, bubbles, lack of practice games this series has been difficult in more ways.

 

[Joseph Gomes]

The best series I've ever seen was the 2005 Ashes series, the quality was unmatched, tension, the whole country was glued to it, so for me Ashes series are unmatched. Unfortunately due to the pandemic, bubbles, lack of practice games this series has been difficult in more ways.

I have watched more than a few Ashes myself, from 2010 onwards that is. They have been nothing but one-sided borefest. England and Aus both thrashing each other at their respective homes. If we see some entertainment in next English Ashes, it's because how weak England has become so there may be some contest. In Australia, it's same as Bangladesh getting pummeled abroad.

 

[Manunited18]

I have watched more than a few Ashes myself, from 2010 onwards that is. They have been nothing but one-sided borefest. England and Aus both thrashing each other at their respective homes. If we see some entertainment in next English Ashes, it's because how weak England has become so there may be some contest. In Australia, it's same as Bangladesh getting pummeled abroad.

2005 ashes excellent series
2009 ashes excellent series
2010 ashes excellent series
2019ashes excellent series
I could go on.

 

[MP2011]

Unfortunately due to the pandemic, bubbles, lack of practice games this series has been difficult in more ways.

Do any other test series that are currently being played, are they having any practice games? And they all are played under bio bubble.

Stop giving excuses for England's ineptness! In 2018, there were no bio bubbles or COVID and England also played practice games during that tour.

What was the end result of that series?

 

[sweep_shot]

I have watched more than a few Ashes myself, from 2010 onwards that is. They have been nothing but one-sided borefest. England and Aus both thrashing each other at their respective homes. If we see some entertainment in next English Ashes, it's because how weak England has become so there may be some contest. In Australia, it's same as Bangladesh getting pummeled abroad.

2005 Ashes was the best.

I also think last Ashes in UK wasn't too bad. It was 2-2.

 

[Buffet]

2005 Ashes was the best.

I also think last Ashes in UK wasn't too bad. It was 2-2.

Play 5 tests in Ashes in Eng - Aus can compete most times.

Play 3 tests in Ashes played in Aus. - Often, the series is meaningless after the first 2 tests.

The issue will be CA not wanting to reduce it due to the broadcasting deal.

 

[Ab Fan]

Play 5 tests in Ashes in Eng - Aus can compete most times.

Play 3 tests in Ashes played in Aus. - Often, the series is meaningless after the first 2 tests.

Makes sense. Would be good from viewers point of view.

 

[Manunited18]

Do any other test series that are currently being played, are they having any practice games? And they all are played under bio bubble.

Stop giving excuses for England's ineptness! In 2018, there were no bio bubbles or COVID and England also played practice games during that tour.

What was the end result of that series?

I'm sure that was the same excuse India were using when Kiwis beat you comprehensively in the world test championship final

 

[Last Monetarist]

Play 5 tests in Ashes in Eng - Aus can compete most times.

Play 3 tests in Ashes played in Aus. - Often, the series is meaningless after the first 2 tests.

The issue will be CA not wanting to reduce it due to the broadcasting deal.

CA doesn't schedule Test matches to cater to neutral fans, viewership for the Ashes in Australia has been very strong and Channel 7 have been breaking ratings records for this time of the year.

As long as the Australian public is enjoying its cricket team hammering England, there will be a strong incentive to retain 5 Tests.

 

[Babeikh]

2005 was a great series for sure, possibly the second best test series i have seen behind West Indies v Australia in 1999.

But it doesn't come even close to a T20 world cup, let alone an ODI world cup. Ultimately I support neither team so maybe i just don't understand the obsession with it. Maybe if Pak v India was a similar regular series I'd care about it more than the world cup but i doubt it.

 

[MP2011]

I'm sure that was the same excuse India were using when Kiwis beat you comprehensively in the world test championship final

Wrong analogy!

That was a one-off test and hence a lottery of which NZ had all the numbers.

OTOH, this Ashes being a 5-tests long series, you had plenty of chances to come back in the series but due to your ineptness you were still a miserable failure. Only rain prevented you being whitewashed yet again in Australia.

 

[MP2011]

Play 5 tests in Ashes in Eng - Aus can compete most times.

Play 3 tests in Ashes played in Aus. - Often, the series is meaningless after the first 2 tests.

The issue will be CA not wanting to reduce it due to the broadcasting deal.

Not going to happen. Aussies love seeing England getting pounded.

 

[Savak]

To be honest in big moments the bowling has let England down on this tour. In every test England let Australia get to many, first innings of this test a prime example, Australia 12-3 yet went on to get 300 . Australian attack has been ruthless every time.

England's bowling has been decent, the batting has let England down big time

 

[Manunited18]

England's bowling has been decent, the batting has let England down big time

Was decent, but in big moments England let Australia off the hook. When the Aussies had England under the pump, their Attack was ruthless.

 

[Manunited18]

Wrong analogy!

That was a one-off test and hence a lottery of which NZ had all the numbers.

OTOH, this Ashes being a 5-tests long series, you had plenty of chances to come back in the series but due to your ineptness you were still a miserable failure. Only rain prevented you being whitewashed yet again in Australia.

I do admit England over the last 20 years have performed badly in Australia in general, but its nothing to do with ability, for me it's more to do with the mental side of the game, ashes and it's added pressure. England's record in similar conditions in south africa over the last 10 years has been good.

 

[MenInG]

England have now lost a combined 13-0 across the last 3 Ashes series in Australia.

 

[Sarwar89]

England have now lost a combined 13-0 across the last 3 Ashes series in Australia.

But lets not forget England has won 14 Test series down under. And they also won 2010/11 Ashes as well. Gatting did the job in 86/87 too.

Australia also last won in England way back in 2001.

 

[Babeikh]

England have now lost a combined 13-0 across the last 3 Ashes series in Australia.

Luducrous embarrassing record considering they get opportunity after opportunity to play there and get 5 test series.

 

[boomboomcheema]

England have now lost a combined 13-0 across the last 3 Ashes series in Australia.

What an awful record. How do English and Australia fans even get excited about a series in Australia.

 

[James]

England can be argued to be as much of a frontier for Australia as Australia is for England. Australia haven’t won a Test series in England for over 20 years. England at least won the Ashes in Australia in 2010/11. Is interesting that people sometimes forget these details!

 

[Babeikh]

England can be argued to be as much of a frontier for Australia as Australia is for England. Australia haven’t won a Test series in England for over 20 years. England at least won the Ashes in Australia in 2010/11. Is interesting that people sometimes forget these details!

Australia can compete in England though.

Won two tests in 2019, two in 2015. England wouldn't dream of beating them 5-0 whereas let's face it it was only rain that stopped 5-0 this series

 

[Manunited18]

England can be argued to be as much of a frontier for Australia as Australia is for England. Australia haven’t won a Test series in England for over 20 years. England at least won the Ashes in Australia in 2010/11. Is interesting that people sometimes forget these details!

Yep, the last time Aussies won a series here in England was in 2001!

 

[James]

Australia can compete in England though.

Won two tests in 2019, two in 2015. England wouldn't dream of beating them 5-0 whereas let's face it it was only rain that stopped 5-0 this series

Doesn’t matter really, England drew the game in Sydney fair & square and batted bravely to achieve this, and if you want to go further back then England would have beaten Australia 4-0 in England in 2013 (3-0 England) if it wasn’t for bad light at the Oval.

By the time Australia arrive in the UK for the next Ashes series, it will be 22 years since they last won a Test series against England in England.

 

[Technics 1210]

So glad I cancelled my BT Sport 30 day subscription.

Abject surrender.

At 68-0 I thought England would show some fight and produce a shock win; then to be all out at near double the score was both a shock and expectation (is this even possible emotionally?)

I noticed Burns removed his hair-band, uff!

I for one do not believe England lacks talent; I firmly believe there’s a mindset problem here, and management challenge.

Silverwood has to go. Broad being dropped for 1st and 3rd test on green tops was a cardinal sin!

Anderson is now a liability; let him retire with grace.

Hameed, permanent ban from England squad.

Ban Franchise cricket, introduce Red & White ball contracts.

Ban tattoos, ban ridiculous hair styles, ban social media.

Enforce focus.

 

[Manunited18]

Doesn’t matter really, England drew the game in Sydney fair & square and batted bravely to achieve this, and if you want to go further back then England would have beaten Australia 4-0 in England in 2013 (3-0 England) if it wasn’t for bad light at the Oval.

By the time Australia arrive in the UK for the next Ashes series, it will be 22 years since they last won a Test series against England in England.

Yep, England is still a fortress for the Aussies which they haven't breached for almost a quarter of century.

 

[Babeikh]

Doesn’t matter really, England drew the game in Sydney fair & square and batted bravely to achieve this, and if you want to go further back then England would have beaten Australia 4-0 in England in 2013 (3-0 England) if it wasn’t for bad light at the Oval.

By the time Australia arrive in the UK for the next Ashes series, it will be 22 years since they last won a Test series against England in England.

And despite that the record will still be better than 13 defeats and 2 draws in 15 tests. But do believe that there is a comparison there if it makes you feel better.

 

[Buffet]

I do admit England over the last 20 years have performed badly in Australia in general, but its nothing to do with ability, for me it's more to do with the mental side of the game, ashes and it's added pressure. England's record in similar conditions in south africa over the last 10 years has been good.

Agree with the poster here. Yes, the ability is an issue, but the mental is a bigger issue when Eng lands in Aus. Eng often looks demoralized in the first test itself and then it starts going downhill from there.

Take this test, for example, Eng had a chance to pull a win after getting such a good start, but 1-2 wickets down then the entire team collapsed. Yes, the last test due to rain overs were lost, but it was a rare exception where I saw tail showing fight and holding out for a draw. If the Eng team can show the same fight in every test then I don't think the series will look so one-sided even if they lose by the same scoreline. The mental aspect is definitely a factor when Eng lands in Aus. They may not be gun team, but they are not as poor as display in Aus.

 

[Buffet]

CA doesn't schedule Test matches to cater to neutral fans, viewership for the Ashes in Australia has been very strong and Channel 7 have been breaking ratings records for this time of the year.

As long as the Australian public is enjoying its cricket team hammering England, there will be a strong incentive to retain 5 Tests.

Yah, you have a point. As long as the public enjoys hammering, it will keep viewership high and broadcasters will have all the incentive to keep it going.

 

[James]

CA doesn't schedule Test matches to cater to neutral fans, viewership for the Ashes in Australia has been very strong and Channel 7 have been breaking ratings records for this time of the year.

As long as the Australian public is enjoying its cricket team hammering England, there will be a strong incentive to retain 5 Tests.

Correct.

Australian fans and English fans love watching the Ashes, the appetite for this 140 year old rivalry is today as strong as it ever was and long may it continue.

 

[The Googly]

But lets not forget England has won 14 Test series down under. And they also won 2010/11 Ashes as well. Gatting did the job in 86/87 too.

Australia also last won in England way back in 2001.

Considering they get to play Australia every 2 years for the last 130 years or so and get a 5 test series in Aus every 2 years with plenty of practice on their pitches prior to the tours - the record is pretty rubbish. This has been an extremely one sided series. Bangladesh would not have fared worse.

 

[wrongun]

At least in 2018 we had the excuse that the wrong bowling attack had been picked. But this time the bowling unit did well.

Bowling is the least of your worries. Jimmy wants to play on. Broad is only early 30s & has a few years left, if he's made to feel wanted. Wood is now coming into his own & although he's been injured a lot, it means he doesn't have as many miles on the clock. Add in Saqib, Archer, Overton with Woakes & Robinson (needs to get fitter) for backup and seam attack is ok.

Need to nurture/play your legspinners. It's almost absurd how even SA & NZ & WI can develop the odd wristy but England just flat out refuse to play them.

But what can be done to fix the batting? One of The Hundred or T20 domestic comp needs to go, surely.

Can some meaningful county cricket be scheduled in the middle of summer?

Change the ball? Pitches?

 

[Savak]

England needs consistent runs on the board to win in Australian conditions. That was the key to their success in 2010-11.

Their bowling has held their own in Australia, it's not like they consistently concede 500-600 runs every innings to every second innings in Australia.

For Pakistan, bowling is the number one problem in Australia, just struggle to take ten wickets in an innings. In future the PCB should look into hiring an Australian bowling consultant to ensure the bowlers know the right strategies to employ in Australian conditions and maybe look into the Bharat Arun off middle stump ruthless line of attack with a packed leg side field

 

[James]

But what can be done to fix the batting? One of The Hundred or T20 domestic comp needs to go, surely.

Can some meaningful county cricket be scheduled in the middle of summer?

Change the ball? Pitches?

Get rid of the Hundred.

A longer county championship.

England centrally contracted Test players to be released more regularly to play first class cricket for their counties. (e.g no Tests in England til June this year — that’s 2 full months in April & May which should be utilised.)

Start using the Kookaburra ball for all first class cricket in England instead of the Dukes,

More encouragement and incentives for English players to join up with South African and/or Australian domestic sides during the Southern hemisphere summer.

 

[Gilly]

Get rid of the Hundred.

A longer county championship.

England centrally contracted Test players to be released more regularly to play first class cricket for their counties. (e.g no Tests in England til June this year — that’s 2 full months in April & May which should be utilised.)

Start using the Kookaburra ball for all first class cricket in England instead of the Dukes,

More encouragement and incentives for English players to join up with South African and/or Australian domestic sides during the Southern hemisphere summer.

England seem to have problems in the dressing room, Pietersen should have been a wake up call for England. To me players in the team are not playing for England but themselves, cricket is a team game and players need to play in the best interests of the team. I don't know the dynamics of the team but it looks like personalities play a major role.

 

[JibranAnsari]

2010 was probably englands biggest achievement in ashes ever .. Won three matches in australia by an innings margin. Something.

 

[Buffet]

2010 was probably englands biggest achievement in ashes ever .. Won three matches in australia by an innings margin. Something.

It was surely their biggest achievement. In the last 30-32 years, Eng has won only 6 tests in Aus. 3 came in that series.

 

[JaDed]

Doesn’t matter really, England drew the game in Sydney fair & square and batted bravely to achieve this, and if you want to go further back then England would have beaten Australia 4-0 in England in 2013 (3-0 England) if it wasn’t for bad light at the Oval.

By the time Australia arrive in the UK for the next Ashes series, it will be 22 years since they last won a Test series against England in England.

In that logic do you believe India does better in England than Pakistan or Lanka being the best Asian side to tour England, as they won a series there last?

 

[James]

And despite that the record will still be better than 13 defeats and 2 draws in 15 tests. But do believe that there is a comparison there if it makes you feel better.

It’s not about making me or anyone else feel better, it’s about presenting the facts, RE Australia’s record in England over the last 20 years: which for some reason gets overlooked at times.

2019 was the first Ashes since 2001 where Australia played well throughout and looked consistently the better team, but a once in a lifetime innings from Ben Stokes at Headingley helped England to secure a tied series.

Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke (2 attempts each) and Tim Paine never won an Ashes series in England during their captaincy.

 

[Robert]

2010 was probably englands biggest achievement in ashes ever .. Won three matches in australia by an innings margin. Something.

They won in 1933 1-4.

They won 1-3 in 1955, in the era of six-day tests and eight-ball overs.

They won 0-2 in 1971, when seven tests were played, this being the one home series where Australia failed to win a match.

They won 1-5 in 1979 but the Chappells and Lillee were playing for Packer. Also eight-ball overs.

 

[Robert]

England losing again after giving false hopes of a fightback

England seem to have problems in the dressing room, Pietersen should have been a wake up call for England. To me players in the team are not playing for England but themselves, cricket is a team game and players need to play in the best interests of the team. I don't know the dynamics of the team but it looks like personalities play a major role.

Pietersen was a disruptive who caused strife in more than one team dressing room. He fell out at Natal and Anglo-Aussie Gallian blew up at him at Notts.

I don’t see any evidence they are playing for themselves, merely that they don’t have the skills to dig in when the bowlers are on top.

 

[Gilly]

It’s not about making me or anyone else feel better, it’s about presenting the facts, RE Australia’s record in England over the last 20 years: which for some reason gets overlooked at times.

2019 was the first Ashes since 2001 where Australia played well throughout and looked consistently the better team, but a once in a lifetime innings from Ben Stokes at Headingley helped England to secure a tied series.

Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke (2 attempts each) and Tim Paine never won an Ashes series in England during their captaincy.

Since 2000 Australia have won 10 tests in England and lost 13

In Australia since 2000, Australia have won 23 and lost 4 at home to England.

 

[Gilly]

Pietersen was a disruptive who caused strife in more than one team dressing room. He fell out at Natal and Anglo-Aussie Gallian blew up at him at Notts.

I don’t see any evidence they are playing for themselves, merely that they don’t have the skills to dig in when the bowlers are on top.

I see it with the batting, they dont turn over the strike and play like they are in a partnership. The fielders dont support the bowlers and have a very low energy level in the field, dropped catches are a good indication. Senior players like Anderson and Broad should have been upfront supporting Root but they seem to want to distance themselves from him. Stokes did support Root but he is the vice captain. England do not look like a team that is playing a team game.

Pietersen does have an ego but some England players let their own ego's drive a rift between him and the group. Anderson and Broad were the main drivers.

 

[James]

Since 2000 Australia have won 10 tests in England and lost 13

In Australia since 2000, Australia have won 23 and lost 4 at home to England.

Yes Australia have undoubtedly been more competitive on a Test-to-Test basis in England, than England have in Australia.

(Although the 2013 Ashes was one-sided in England’s favour, and the 2015 3-2 result imo slightly flattered Australia… the series with the famous “60 all out” at Trent Bridge.)

Fact remains that the only team to win an away Ashes series during this two-decade period is England…

 

[James]

I see it with the batting, they dont turn over the strike and play like they are in a partnership. The fielders dont support the bowlers and have a very low energy level in the field, dropped catches are a good indication. Senior players like Anderson and Broad should have been upfront supporting Root but they seem to want to distance themselves from him. Stokes did support Root but he is the vice captain. England do not look like a team that is playing a team game.

Pietersen does have an ego but some England players let their own ego's drive a rift between him and the group. Anderson and Broad were the main drivers.

The dressing room environment under the 1950s schoolmaster-styled Andy Flower was peak clique culture, private schoolboy oneupmanship, and toxic masculinity.

KP found himself at the centre of this mess, although the bowlers and Matt Prior lined up against him in what was arguably an atmosphere of workplace bullying due to perceived “otherness”, and Strauss bore a (perhaps understandable) personal grudge against KP at the time due to Textgate, so he chose to look the other way & not to intervene. (There has since been a mutual apology and reconciliation.)

It’s not as bad as this now at all, although there are still underlying problems admittedly, and some of the players (mainly Broad and Anderson — again! — and Woakes this time also) obviously don’t rate Chris Silverwood and have been briefing against him in the media.

I am at the end of the day a firm believer that robust, effective leadership can solve almost all of the issues in a dressing room and in a team. Therefore, I ultimately blame Andy Flower (too hard, and too hands on) and Chris Silverwood (too soft, and too hands off) and hold them strongly accountable for both of these scenarios.

This England team is full of privileged metrosexual egos and these men need a strong but also balanced leader as head coach to whip them into shape. Gary Kirsten would be my clear first choice; I would also welcome involvement from Jason Gillespie.

 

[JibranAnsari]

They won in 1933 1-4.

They won 1-3 in 1955, in the era of six-day tests and eight-ball overs.

They won 0-2 in 1971, when seven tests were played, this being the one home series where Australia failed to win a match.

They won 1-5 in 1979 but the Chappells and Lillee were playing for Packer. Also eight-ball overs.

yes winning three matches by an innings margin in a same series is huge.

 

[Robert]

The dressing room environment under the 1950s schoolmaster-styled Andy Flower was peak clique culture, private schoolboy oneupmanship, and toxic masculinity.

KP found himself at the centre of this mess, although the bowlers and Matt Prior lined up against him in what was arguably an atmosphere of workplace bullying due to perceived “otherness”, and Strauss bore a (perhaps understandable) personal grudge against KP at the time due to Textgate, so he chose to look the other way & not to intervene. (There has since been a mutual apology and reconciliation.)

It’s not as bad as this now at all, although there are still underlying problems admittedly, and some of the players (mainly Broad and Anderson — again! — and Woakes this time also) obviously don’t rate Chris Silverwood and have been briefing against him in the media.

I am at the end of the day a firm believer that robust, effective leadership can solve almost all of the issues in a dressing room and in a team. Therefore, I ultimately blame Andy Flower (too hard, and too hands on) and Chris Silverwood (too soft, and too hands off) and hold them strongly accountable for both of these scenarios.

This England team is full of privileged metrosexual egos and these men need a strong but also balanced leader as head coach to whip them into shape. Gary Kirsten would be my clear first choice; I would also welcome involvement from Jason Gillespie.

Agreed, or some tough-as-nails Englishman - who is also good with blokes - like Stewart or Collingwood.

Unsurprising that successful England bowlers don’t rate Silverwood, who played about six tests and did very little. I lost all respect for him when he doubled down on the wrong bowling selections in the first two tests.

 

[Robert]

I see it with the batting, they dont turn over the strike and play like they are in a partnership. The fielders dont support the bowlers and have a very low energy level in the field, dropped catches are a good indication. Senior players like Anderson and Broad should have been upfront supporting Root but they seem to want to distance themselves from him. Stokes did support Root but he is the vice captain. England do not look like a team that is playing a team game.

Pietersen does have an ego but some England players let their own ego's drive a rift between him and the group. Anderson and Broad were the main drivers.

Australia dropped ten catches to England’s fifteen which is bad too.

I’d put the fielding down to an inability to concentrate for long periods, and the inability to rotate strike down to low situational awareness.