Ashes 2021-22: A tail of two teams

As Christmas Day drew to a close, I began to experience the annual anticipation that most cricket lovers do. One more sleep until the Boxing Day Test begins.

With the Aussies already 2-0 ahead in the series, I was hoping for a vast improvement from England. I know they have been trying, but so far it has been a one way street. A bit more of a competition would be nice.

I may still get the competition I crave, after all we are only half way through the series. There is still time for England to turn things around, however I can only judge on what I’ve seen, and so far it hasn’t been good.

Unfortunately a glimpse of brilliance here and there is not enough to win a Test match, let alone a series.

The same problems keep popping up for the tourists and although they are experimenting with different combinations, it feels like their solutions are as effective as putting a band aid on a gaping wound. Quite simply, they are being outplayed.

The openers are putting the team on the back foot from the beginning of the innings. They could not have had a worse start to an Ashes series when Rory Burns was bowled in Brisbane on the very first ball of the Test match summer.

Since then, things have only slightly improved, with 23 being the highest opening partnership for them so far.

Adelaide saw two opening partnerships of 7 and 4 once again putting pressure on Joe Root and the middle order to perform. And when the English number 10 and 11 Stuart Broad and James Anderson respectively managed to put on more runs under the lights than Burns and Haseeb Hameed, it is safe to say something has gone very wrong.

Melbourne has seen the introduction of Zak Crawley to open the batting, but so far it has been a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul with another two single digit opening partnerships. Whatever tactical moves England are trying so far just aren’t working.

While it is natural to be disappointed with their starts, there is just as much concern with the rest of the team.

Root and Malan have been the most consistent but once they go there is very little resistance from anyone else.

Anderson has been the pick of the bowlers, doing what he has done for many years. His sheer determination, along with his ability to swing the ball both ways has given him the success he rightfully deserves. But at 39 years of age, the question has to be asked, who is going to replace him as the main striker when he decides to hang up his boots?

(Photo by Daniel Pockett – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

Granted the series could have been a lot closer if Joffra Archer had been fit enough to play, but the history books don’t reflect hypotheticals. Now is the perfect opportunity for someone to step up. Whether they do remains to be seen.

By total contrast, the Australian pace attack has been brutal. It has been a well oiled machine for many years and not a lot of sides have an answer to it.

When Josh Hazlewood was ruled out of Adelaide with an injury and Pat Cummins missed due to a covid concern, debutante Michael Neser and Western Australia quick Jhye Richardson seamlessly stepped in.

The sting in the Australian tail has been the major difference in the series so far. When they are not ripping through England’s top order, they are adding a handy fifty plus runs to the team’s total. The Aussie tail has perfected the art of frustrating the opposition with their batting.

On the rare occasion the top order fails, they have confidence in the lower order to bring them towards a competitive total. Currently there is a chasm between the two lower orders.

Clearly England need to improve in all areas in order to claw their way back. However if they are to have any chance of winning at all, their tail must start wagging, otherwise it will continue to be a very one sided Ashes series.