"I've been working for Channel 7 and people like Ricky Ponting and Allan Border are craving an even contest" - David Lloyd
Former England cricketer David Lloyd expressed the humiliation he felt after Joe Root and Co. lost the Ashes series Down Under meekly. Lloyd revealed that his Australian counterparts have craved a contest, given the hosts have steamrolled England in all three Tests.
Australia completed a crushing victory over England on Day Three of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. Scott Boland's stunning six-wicket haul on his debut left England and they eventually succumbed to 68. England still trailed by 14 runs at that point.
Australia win the third Test and retain the Ashes.
Scorecard: ms.spr.ly/6012ZZQUA
#Ashes | #AUSvENG https://t.co/hExjpxHMrw
Writing in his column for the Daily Mail, David Lloyd revealed the likes of Ricky Ponting and Allan Border have expressed a craving for more of a challenge. Lloyd, working for Channel 7, conceded that England are in a sorry state in Test cricket. He wrote:
"I've had so many people come up to me over the last couple of weeks saying, 'I'm not bothering watching the Ashes. What's the point?' And these are proper cricket lovers too. It even stretches to Australians. I've been working for Channel 7 and people like Ricky Ponting and Allan Border are craving an even contest. They are even making excuses for England! It's got that bad."
England have now gone 12 Tests in Australia without a win, stretching back to the 2013-14 Ashes series. Their last victory was in Sydney in 2011. Skipper Joe Root admitted that the team must hit the reset button to revive their fortunes.
"This Ashes defeat feels even worse than usual" - David Lloyd
Lloyd expects a massive fallout and review after the series. The 74-year-old pinpointed that some of the lesser-known names have blown the visitors away in the absence of first-choice players. In this regard, he wrote:
"The inquest will start now. No doubt there will be another review. But this Ashes defeat feels even worse than usual. It just wasn't a contest. This third Test finished in six and a half sessions with a delay on the second day! That second innings was a total capitulation. Pat Cummins missed the second Test and Josh Hazlewood has been out of the last two."
Lloyd continued:
"They brought in a complete unknown in 32-year-old Scott Boland for his debut at Melbourne and he takes six for seven! They stuck with Marcus Harris who got a nice half-century and they've thrown in a lad in Cameron Green, who is going to be a superstar."
The fourth Ashes Test begins on January 5 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.