Ashes turn to dust
ENGLAND face another summer of humiliation after Australia’s bowlers systematically shredded their Ashes dreams at Adelaide Oval yesterday.
Sir Donald Bradman’s 1936-37 team are the only Ashes side to come back from 2-0 down, and England are now staring down that very same barrel, but with no Don.
Nathan Lyon’s superman caught and bowled and Mitchell Starc’s juggling grab summed up an Australian outfit that looks invincible.
Lyon’s pre-series predictions that Australia were out to “end careers” raised the ire of the English. But he might be right, with ageing warriors Alastair Cook, James Anderson
and Stuart Broad the men most under the pump.
Shortly after dinner break on day three, England were all out for 227, trailing by 215 runs. England were hanging by a thread but Steve Smith did not enforce the follow-on.
Australia hunted mercilessly
as a pack but pink ball king Starc (3-49) and the ultraconfident Lyon (4-60) did the bulk of the damage.
Lyon has 55 wickets from nine Tests this year – more than anyone else in the world.
England captain Joe Root played arguably the loosest shot of all to nick off to Pat Cummins and it sent a message to the rest of the dressing room that a repeat of the 2013-14 Ashes whitewash is now firmly on the cards.
Australia may add allrounder Mitchell Marsh to their squad for the third Test in Perth to provide extra depth and cover, but there is no need to change this rampant XI.
Josh Hazlewood got the ball rolling when he nibbled the edge of an all-at-sea James Vince and when 150km/h runaway train Cummins had Root nailed down, England were 3-50 and in a world of pain.
Root couldn’t quite believe the error he had just made and stayed glued the crease for several moments. A COOK c Smith b Lyon ................... 37 J VINCE c Paine b Hazlewood ........... 2 J ROOT c Bancroft b Cummins ......... 9 D MALAN c Paine b Cummins ......... 19 M ALI c & b Lyon ............................. 25 J BAIRSTOW c & b Starc ................... 21 C WOAKES c & b Starc .................... 36 C OVERTON not out ......................... 41 S BROAD c Paine b Lyon ................... 3 J ANDERSON lbw Lyon ..................... 0 Total ............................................... 227 Bowling: Starc 20-4-49-3, Hazlewood 16-356-1, Cummins 16-3-47-2, Lyon 24.1-5-60-4
D WARNER c Root b Woakes .......... 14 C BANCROFT c Bairstow b Anderson..4 U KHAWAJA lbw Anderson ............ 20 S SMITH lbw Woakes ........................ 6 Total ............................................. 4-53 Bowling: Anderson 11-8-16-2, Broad 7-2-14-0, Woakes 7-0-13-2