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Opinion
The Boxing Day Test has been and gone for another year, and with it England’s chances of winning an Ashes series in Australia for just the second time in 30 years.
Captain Pat Cummins was back and while electing to bowl first might seem like a foolish decision to most, going that way meant Australia could wrap up the match in under three days, securing the Ashes in the process.
While the men in baggy greens didn’t bat particularly well, they made up for it with their bowling, and England’s batting was once again not sturdy enough to withstand the inevitable collapse that twice ensued.
This is the third instalment of the Ashes series ‘The good, the bad, the worst’; three moments from each team that defined the match.
The good
Scott Boland. Six wickets, seven runs, four overs. Forever etched in Boxing Day folklore.
With Josh Hazlewood and Jhye Richardson ruled out of the third Test through injury, George Bailey and the selection panel turned to an unassuming Shield cricketer by the name of Scott Boland to round out the playing XI.
While unexpected, the move had merit, with Boland being one of the in-form bowlers in the Sheffield Shield this season. And after taking 42 wickets in six MCG matches since 2017, the Victorian was seen as an MCG specialist.
Boy oh boy did he prove selectors right. Six wickets in the second innings off only 24 deliveries was special. An overnight sensation, Boland will never forget his Test debut.
England finally got their bowlers right. Jimmy Anderson was electric at the MCG, sending Kookaburras whizzing past outside edges all day long, and ending with four wickets.
(Photo by Darrian Traynor – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
Mark Wood brought real pace to the attack and Ollie Robinson consistently troubled the Aussies with the bounce he generated off a good length.
They bowled Australia out for 267, giving their team a chance in a match many thought might have already been over.
The bad
Australia really struggled with the bat, recording their only first-innings total under 400.
David Warner was removed late on Day 1 after looking dangerous and only Marcus Harris, probably the most out-of-form batsman in the team, managed to stand up after that, top scoring with 76.
It didn’t end up mattering because the Boland freight train steamed through the Englishmen but the Aussies will be hoping for a stronger performance from their top seven in Sydney.
(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
The visitors just haven’t been able to put it together with the bat this summer. Joe Root has done everything but score a century and Dawid Malan has been solid.
But apart from that, it’s been a disaster. Chris Woakes, a bowling all-rounder, is the only other guy to average over 25 and when all three openers England have tried combine for a total of 133 runs you know there’s a problem.
Ben Stokes, the hero of Headingley, has been brought back down to earth this Ashes and with a top score of 34, he has had zero impact so far.
England have a lot of reflecting to do regarding the batting line-up, and their fans will be hoping for a 300-plus score for the first time this series at the SCG.
The worst
Who to pick for Sydney? The batsmen should be set, with Harris’ half century at the MCG probably enough to retain him in the team.
The bowling attack is another matter. With Hazlewood and Richardson returning, who drops out? Mitch Starc has been outstanding so far but it might be time to give him a rest so he doesn’t burn out. Bring ‘the Hoff’ in for him.
Cummins and Nathan Lyon are locks to keep their places, and that leaves Boland. The MCG magician could be facing the axe after a man of the match performance in the third Test.
Richardson secured a five-for in his last match and deserves the spot as Australia look toward the future with the series wrapped up, but leaving Boland out will break many a heart, mine included.
(Photo by Daniel Pockett – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
Where to now for England? A third-day capitulation means they have lost the Ashes in only 12 days of play, two days less than the time the team spent quarantining on the Gold Coast.
English cricket is at its lowest right now, with their nine Test match losses in 2021 equalling the record for most in a calendar year.
Many were predicting a thrashing by the Aussies coming into the series, some even a clean sweep, but the complete demolition job that has ensued in the last month is something no one was expecting.
The batting (Root and Malan mostly excepted) has been downright terrible, the bowling has been not much better and the effort in the field has been almost non-existent.
The defining moment was when the team disappeared to the changerooms, too embarrassed to stand beside their captain as he faced the media music.
Root’s men need to have a good, hard look at themselves and offer up at least some semblance of a fight in Sydney, then Hobart, if they aspire to salvage anything from this tour down under.
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