Former England captains Michael Vaughan and Ian Botham were distraught after the tourists’ dreadful collapse in Hobart saw them crash to a 4-0 defeat.
England briefly teased a potential win when Zak Crawley and Rory Burns took them to 0-68 needing 271 for a victory.
Cameron Green sprung the first three breakthroughs and the Poms lost their 10 wickets for 56.
“It’s been embarrassing, to be honest. Gutless,” said Ashes legend Ian Botham on Channel 7.
“The way they performed today disappointed me and will have disappointed people at home. They should be disappointed in the dressingroom too with that performance.
“The one thing we have to do now is get our heads out of the sand and prioritise red ball cricket because if we’re not careful the eskimos will be beating us.’
"It's been embarrassing. Gutless."
– Ian Botham on England's series #Ashes pic.twitter.com/OVXP5z8DbV
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 16, 2022
“This has been embarrassing to see an England side throwing in the towel and that’s what they’ve done in the last hour – just thrown the towel in,” Vaughan told Fox Cricket when the last wicket fell.
“It’s been a long tour, it’s been difficult the Australians were too powerful, too strong, had too much expertise, too much quality but I just can’t accept when I see an England side throw the towel in.
“In Sydney we saw a lot of fight but that’s not the way to end a Test match, the way that England side has played in the last hour or so.
Even by England’s remarkably low standards, that was seriously pathetic. Surely Silverwood can’t survive this? Fitting end to a dreadful tour #Ashes #AUSvsENG https://t.co/DbbYioXXkp
— Andy Ward (@AndyWardITV) January 16, 2022
England's #Ashes collapses⁰10-56 Hobart second innings⁰10-61 MCG second innings⁰8-74 Gabba second innings⁰8-86 Adelaide first innings
????
— Christy Doran (@ChristypDoran) January 16, 2022
With 357 runs at an average of 59 and two centuries, Travis Head is the player of the series! #Ashes pic.twitter.com/G5mcBWHMve
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 16, 2022
We’ve been robbed of 5+ days of cricket over this #Ashes series because England have been so terrible so they should have to play one more as compensation.
— Adam Liaw (@adamliaw) January 16, 2022
“We were only on the pitch at tea saying they had a genuine chance of winning. It’s just not good enough. As much as the bubble life and everything, the preparation has not been there but when you see a team throw in the towel you go there’s problems.
“There’s real problems in English cricket and they need to try and iron it out.
“There’s some real hard questions to answer after this. I want to see fight. The Aussies are a better team and I can accept that but I can’t accept when they throw in the towel.
“What we’ve seen in the last hour, Ollie Robinson I know he’s a bowler but to be backing away first ball I can’t have that – you have to show a bit of fight.”
Vaughan said captain Joe Root would be hurting but should keep his job.
“He’s a proud captain. I absolutely hope he carries on,” said Vaughan.
“He needs to lead English cricket through this situation.
“It’s going to take time. It might be that England go back before they go forward.”
Co-commentator Shane Warne added: “It’s been pretty tough to watch those last few hours. When you think about the start, Crawley and Burns gave England 0-68. They lost 10 wickets for 56. There’s collapses and collapses. They gave up at the end.
“You’ve got to give it to the Australians – they were one ball away from 5-0 they played better cricket and were the better team.”
The Australians enjoyed the celebrations afterward with Justin Langer smiling in the midst of the players.
“I don’t know what more he can do,” said Warne of Langer’s contractual situation. “What do you judge a coach on? It can only be performances.
“Is Australian cricket in better shape now than when he took over? They’ve won an Ashes series and T20 World Cup. I don’t know what they’re waiting for. He should be re-signed.”
There are very few things quite so depressing during a Test match as the massive white (or pink) covers stretched across the pitch and…
In the lead-up to the Test tour of India, Australian cricket looks in good shape. Convincing series wins over the West Indies and South…
Usman Khawaja says “time is the enemy” but the born-again opener believes that a result, as unlikely as it is, is “still possible”. After…
For everyone but Usman Khawaja, COVID-19 was one of life’s great disrupters. But for the 36-year-old it was his second coming. One year ago,…
After a tumultuous 2022, the Australian cricket team is set for another blockbuster year in 2023. This will be a massive test of Pat…
Yes, I know, we still have a Test match to play against South Africa then the second half of the Sheffield Shield. Then our…
