3 observations from England's loss in the Boxing Day Test in Ashes 2021
Australia beat England by an innings and 14 runs inside three days to win the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and take an unbeatable 3-0 series lead in The Ashes.
England's batting lineup, which has come under heavy scrutiny this series, suffered another humiliating collapse, folding for just 68 in their second innings to hand Australia the series.
England captain Joe Root scored a half-century—his third in the series—but did not find much support from his fellow batters as they managed to score only 185 in the first innings. Under pressure opener Marcus Harris then scored 76 to help Australia post 267 in return.
Trailing by just 82 runs, England would have thought they had the chance to set the hosts a target as they looked to dig their way back into the series.
However, England's batting failed again, and spectacularly so, as debutant pacer Scott Boland, brought in specially for the MCG Test, ran through their order with six wickets for just seven runs to hand the visitors another thrashing.
Still on a high after yesterdays series win! #Ashes https://t.co/ctSJgrOjj3
The horror tour continued for England once again, as they were thoroughly outplayed by the hosts. They still have two matches to salvage some pride, but at the moment, a whitewash seems like the most likely outcome once all five matches are done.
Axing opener Rory Burns for Zak Crawley did not help much as the latter made 12 and 5 in the two innings. Jonny Bairstow, coming into the team in place of Ollie Pope, made 35 in the first innings but could not capitalize and then fell for 5 in the second essay.
Ahead of the fourth Test in Sydney, England will have to try and figure out how they can improve their performances. Here are three takeaways from England's defeat to Australia in Melbourne:
#1 Joe Root's lone battle
Amid England's dismal display with the bat in the Ashes, Joe Root is currently leading the run charts with 253 runs under his belt in six innings. The England captain has been in stunning form and has continued to fight Down Under, even as he still searches for his first century in the country.
Root has had some support from Dawid Malan, but other than that, it has been a lone battle for the skipper for most parts of the series. Despite their collapse in Melbourne, Root was their highest scorer with 28 runs.
So far, he has scored 22.48 per cent of England's runs in the series.
#2 England's batting woes
England's troubles with the willow have been well documented throughout the series. England's batters have looked frail against a strong Australian bowling attack, but even when the hosts did not have all their bowlers fit and firing, England still could not ccapitalize
Michael Neser troubled them on his debut in the Adelaide Test. In Melbourne, they had no answer for Scott Boland. That Chris Woakes is their third highest scorer behind Joe Root and Dawid Malan shows just how poor the top and middle order have been.
What it is that is ailing them is something only they can answer, but the team's leadership needs to find a cure, and they need to find it soon.
#3 James Anderson finds his groove
Veteran England seamer James Anderson was held back in the series opener and looked toothless in the Day-Night Test in Adelaide, where he was expected to trouble the hosts with his swing and seam movement.
But he finally found his rhythm in Melbourne as he took four wickets, including the key scalps of David Warner and Steve Smith as well as that of top scorer Marcus Harris.
The England bowlers were a bit too short in the first two Tests with their lengths, something that Joe Root admitted, but Anderson hit the mark with his lines and lengths at the MCG.
We are witnessing sheer greatness in Jimmy Anderson .. Enjoy it whilst it lasts as I am not sure English game will see another one like him .. #Ashes
Ten of Anderson's 23 overs were maidens and his economy rate was a miserly 1.43, even as his teammates gave runs away at over 3 an over. The 38-year-old not only prised the big wickets, he also built pressure that his teammates benefited from.
If England are to salvage anything from this series, Anderson finding form will be a big boost for them.