[Watch] England's last hope Jos Buttler falls with bizarre hit-wicket in 2nd Ashes 2021 Test
Jos Buttler's magical defiance in the second Ashes Test in Adelaide ended in brutal fashion on Monday. The wicketkeeper-batter, standing tall for 26 runs after blunting a whopping 205 deliveries on the final day, stepped on the base of his stumps while trying to punch a good-length delivery against Jhye Richardson.
He played the shot brilliantly all day, but backed out a bit too much this time. The 31-year-old was even ready to steal a single and realized his poor fate only after the Aussies started celebrating.
You can watch a clip of the wicket here:
What a way to end an epic innings! 😲
That's the first time Buttler has been dismissed hit wicket in his 193-innings first class career #Ashes https://t.co/nRP09djjay
Jos Buttler came out to bat at 86-5. He first weaved a dogged stand with Chris Woakes, who scored a relatively aggressive 44 off 97 and then hung on with Stuart Broad. The Adelaide pitch wasn't too reactive for the Aussie pacers and Jos Buttler, unlike his teammates, made full use of it. Nathan Lyon always looked a threat but the 'keeper was magnificent in countering the off-spinner as well.
Australia takes 2-0 lead in Ashes 2021 after Jos Buttler's wicket
A big 275-run win for Australia gives them a two-nil lead in the #Ashes series as the teams head to Melbourne.
It was only a matter of time for England after Jos Buttler's wicket and James Anderson didn't trouble the Aussies much either, losing his wicket to Richardson after just four overs. The young right-arm pacer, playing just his third Test, registered his first five-for in Test cricket with that dismissal.
The visitors were blown away for just 192, losing the Test by a massive 125 runs. Jos Buttler faced the most deliveries in the innings and scored the second-most number of runs. Australia are now 2-0 ahead in the five-match series, with defeat in the first of the two pink-ball Tests showing that England's prospects in this Ashes are bleak at best.
The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will now host the Boxing Day encounter, December 26 onwards.