"I don't think I've seen a worse-performing team in Australia" - Ricky Ponting on the current England side
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has called the current England team the worst to ever play Down Under.
Australian bowlers humiliated England on day three of the third Test in Melbourne, bundling them out for 68 to register an innings victory. The hosts took an unassailable lead of 3-0 with two more Tests to play. Meanwhile, England lost their 12th consecutive Test on Australian soil at the MCG.
Australia's bowlers took it to another level on day three! #Ashes
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Speaking to cricket.com.au, Ricky Ponting stated he hardly remembers a worse touring team in Australian cricket history. Ponting, who ushered Australia into a 5-0 Ashes sweep in 2006-07, recalled Australia's struggles in England, saying the arch-rivals must do what they did.
"I don't think I've seen a worse-performing team in Australia than what I've seen over the last three games. We've been through this in Australia. You wind the clock back a few years ago when we had our struggles in England, we changed conditions, we changed the ball, we changed everything because we were poor in those conditions. England might need to have a look at how they can make their conditions more suitable to ours," Ponting said.
England's last Test win in Australia came back in 2011 in Sydney, before facing results of 5-0 and 4-0 in the previous two series. Joe Root and co. seem to be heading for another whitewash, given their woeful batting performances.
Their technique is not good enough for Test level: Ricky Ponting on England's batters
Ponting highlighted that some of the England batsmen cannot sustain themselves at the top level against quality bowlers, given their technique. He cited the stark difference in the quality of bowling faced at county and Test levels.
"Some of the English top-order batters that I've seen in the last couple of tours, without giving names, there's some techniques there that I just know are not going to stand up at Test level. In challenging conditions and world-class bowlers up against sub-standard techniques, then you get what happened today at the MCG. The little swing dibbly-dobblers that are getting them out over there, they're not facing that at Test level," Ponting added.
It will be interesting to see what changes England make for the fourth Test in Sydney. With World Test Championship points also up for grabs, the visitors still have to be at their best.