Australia annihilate hapless England to clinch Ashes 2021-22 series

A joke went around in the cricketing world on Tuesday that England spent more time quarantining at the world famous Gold Coast in Australia than playing, or rather, competing (if at all they could), in the Ashes 2021-22 series. After all, the Joe Root-led team has gone down without any fight in any of the three matches completed so far, not only to have conceded the series, but losing each game in margins abasing enough for a proud cricketing country. 

After losing the first Test by 9 wickets at Brisbane and by 275 runs at Adelaide, England were bowled out for a poor total of 68 in their second innings at Melbourne, after they could manage only 185 in the first innings of the all-important third Ashes 2021-22 Test, in just a little over three days.

Australia, who sealed the Ashes series win with two matches left with an innings and 14-run win in Melbourne, have now set themselves up for inflicting their third Ashes series whitewash in this century. Having recorded a whitewash of England for the first time in 1920-21 in a five-match series, Australia have already done in twice in this century, in Ashes 2006-07 and 2013-14. The hosts also came close to doing the same in Ashes 2017-18, but a disappointing draw on a dud pitch at the MCG prevented them from doing so. 

Australia debutant and indigenous player from native state Victoria, Scott Boland bowled his team to a remarkable victory, producing a stunning spell of fast bowling in which he took 4-1-7-6 in the second innings to help the home team retain the Ashes urn in a rampant manner. 

Unlike in the first two matches, England challenged Australia through James Anderson, who took a splendid four-wicket haul to give his team a fighting chance in Melbourne. It was Australia who won the toss and decided to bowl on a green-top wicket at the MCG, which had plenty for fast bowlers as the English batsmen struggled against seam movement accompanied by pace and bounce.

Root stood tall for his team with yet another half-century but he was guilty of not continuing any further after reaching the landmark. Having scored 50 from 82 balls with four boundaries, Root was the top scorer for England in the first innings as they were bowled out for 185 in only 65.1 overs.

Australia had the perfect opportunity to put up a huge total in the first innings and bury England under scoreboard pressure. They also began in a strong manner when their openers Marcus Harris and David Warner added 57 runs for the first wicket. But Anderson, skilful as ever, penetrated into the Australian batting lineup as he accounted for both David Warner and Steve Smith on the first day, and added the wickets of Marcus Harris and Pat Cummins on the second day to return with figures of 23-10-33-4. Harris did well to make 76 from 189 balls with 7 boundaries, an innings which will keep him in the playing XI for Australia — his innings was the top score from either team in all four innings of the Melbourne Test.

Harris was the glue which held Australia together against a relentless and dangerous Anderson. The home team lost their middle-order without any fight but the likes of Alex Carey (19), Cummins (21) and Mitchell Starc (24 not out) pushed Australia to a respectable total of 267, giving them a lead of 82 runs which proved to be beyond the reach of England.

England were struggling with the bat on the second evening of the Boxing Day Test when Mitchell Starc and Boland took two wickets apiece to reduce them to 31/4, behind by 51 runs after Australia had taken a vital lead of 82 runs in the first innings.

Former Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath predicted before the play began on the final day that Australia will not have to bat again if they were to dismiss England captain Root and his deputy Ben Stokes in quick succession on the third day morning. 

While all that was wishful thinking, it all came true in a matter of a few overs as a stunning passage of play heralded Australia as the deserving winners of the Ashes 2021-22, with England left to lick their wounds and face the wrath of their fans and media. England also deserve some of it since they have won only one Test in the year 2021 while losing 12. 

Boland ran through the English batting line-up, dismissing Haseeb Hameed for 7, Joe Root for 22, Jack Leach for a two-ball duck, Jonny Bairstow for 5, Mark Wood for a duck from 3 balls and Ollie Robinson for a duck as well, from 2 balls. England now have as many as 54 ducks recorded in Test cricket in the year 2021 itself.

For what it is worth, the Australian and England teams will now move to Sydney where they will compete in the fourth Test starting on January 5, following which they will move to Hobart in Tasmania for the fifth and final Test of the series which also happens to be a day-night affair. And to state the records, Australia have never lost a day-night Test match.