The good, the bad, the worst: Gabba edition

The first Test in the latest chapter of the Ashes went the way most expected.

Australia won convincingly, taking down their oldest opponents in just four days, and dominating with bat and ball for large stretches of the match.

On the other hand, England struggled mightily right from the start, and never recovered after being bowled out on Day 1 for 147.

This is the first instalment of the Ashes series: the good, the bad, the worst. Three moments from each team that defined the match.

The good
There were so many incredible moments for the Aussies in the Gabba Test, with captain Pat Cummins securing a five-for, Travis Head smashing a massive century, and Nathan Lyon, ‘Garry the GOAT’, picking up his 400th Test wicket.

But it’s impossible to go past the absolute ripper of a delivery that began this series.

Mitchell Starc got the Aussies off to a perfect start, bowling Rory Burns around his legs with the first ball of the summer, his 13th Test wicket in the first over since 2014.

The roar of the crowd said it all. Australia were never going to lose after that.

(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

For England the positives were few and far between. A stand between Dawid Malan and Joe Root in the second innings gave fans hope that the match would at least be competitive.

The pair batted well, scored consistently and did not give away many chances to the Aussies. The 162-run partnership was the highest of the game by either side, making up over half the English score in the innings.

It was the only reason England got a 20-run lead in the match and forced Australia to bat again, albeit only for five overs.

The bad
The Australian team performed well overall but Steve Smith failed to fire, out for 12 poking at a ball well outside off stump.

Since his heroics in the last Ashes, Smith has averaged only 36.2 in 16 innings, and his single hundred during that stretch represents the leanest century-making period of his career.

With 2812 career runs against England and 14 centuries at home, Smith will be hoping to find some of the form that carried Australia to their retention of the Ashes last time round.

(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Scoring a century is a huge achievement for any cricketer, but Jack Leach sure wouldn’t have been celebrating his first innings as a bowler in Australia.

The men in the baggy greens carted Leach all over the park, resulting in 102 runs off only 78 deliveries. Marnus Labuschagne must have been feeling sorry for him, as a poor cut shot by Labuschagne led to Leach’s only wicket in the match.

He will be hoping the pitch in Adelaide offers more turn otherwise another ton could be on the way for Leach.

The worst
Josh Hazlewood is injured. I repeat, Josh Hazlewood is injured. One of the most consistent bowlers in the world who never seems to miss a game, ‘the Hoff’ is out for the second Test after picking up a side strain in Brisbane.

He got through 14 overs of work in the second English innings but many could see he was struggling, and after the match the injury was confirmed.

One of the top bowlers in the world in all three formats, Hazlewood’s line-and-length reliability will be missed in Adelaide.

With a week and a half until Boxing Day, Aussie fans will be hoping the big quick will be fit for the MCG.

(Photo by Albert Perez – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

England’s biggest worry coming into this series was their batting line-up. With Joe Root the only batsman to average above 37 (he averages 50), scoring runs was always going to be a problem for the tourists.

When Root failed, like he did in the first innings, the total was almost guaranteed to be low.

That first innings at the Gabba showcased the Australian bowling line-up at its finest but it also demonstrated England’s lack of scoring options. Not a single batsman fought back. Not one managed to pass 40.

England should be rightfully worried coming into the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. The last innings Australia bowled there was the historic 36-run dismissal of India a year ago.

What were your moments that defined the Gabba Test?