They came they saw they cocked it up
ASHES FALLOUT Stricken Joe and Co left to rake over coals of a hopeless series in Oz
JOE ROOT’S first Ashes campaign as skipper was a real sickener and his team could be in worse trouble than four years ago after losing the series 4-0.
Technically the result might be one Test better than the whitewash in 2013-14 but the realisation England have been walloped and there was nothing they could do about it will be the bitterest pill to swallow.
Root was laid low by gastroenteritis and dehydration so despite re-entering the fray after a trip to hospital, he was fast asleep as the Aussies celebrated their Ashes success.
The skipper couldn’t even share a closing Test handshake or drink with the opposition as he was whisked away in a car after sleeping through the afternoon collapse.
It was initially thought the harsh Sydney heat had caused his illness but actually his son had been ill a few days earlier and could have passed it on.
The Aussies took the nine wickets they needed to complete an utterly predictable win by an innings and 123 runs and bring an end to an utterly predictable series.
And this is why England fans should be worried. With the exception of Ben Stokes, excluded by his own actions, these players, these tactics, these strategies and these coaches are the best England have to offer. And they are not good enough.
Last time around, England were undone by a rampant Mitchell Johnson and their own infighting. They were a fine team imploding.
This time they have stuck together. They’ve fought as hard as they possibly could but it’s not been good enough.
England don’t have the bowlers to cause opposition batsmen problems on flat pitches and they don’t have the batsmen capable of making the mammoth scores needed to win games away from home. And they don’t have enough cricketers who can handle the pressure of the big occasion.
Vice-captain James Anderson said: “I don’t know what we could have done differently.
“You can do all the preparation you want. We’ve worked tirelessly in the nets. We’ve planned well – meticulously – but you can’t prepare for being out in middle when the pressure is on.
“And we’ve not dealt with those pressure situations well with bat or ball. That’s been the difference in this series. I don’t think the planning could have been better. It’s just the way we’ve performed on the field.”
It is unlikely there will be wholesale changes to the England squad for the next assignment in New Zealand. But these are deep-rooted problems that have not been addressed over the last four winters where the only success has come when South Africa offered English conditions.
Anderson said: “It doesn’t feel like a series where there should be a big upheaval like other series which have been absolutely disastrous.
“But I’m sure everyone will be looking at themselves in the mirror over the next few weeks.”
JAMES ANDERSON