England greats torch 'costly' Ashes nightmare

2 years ago 516

The absorption from the UK to England's disastrous nine-wicket nonaccomplishment successful the opening Ashes Test has been swift, and brutal.

The tourists shocked everyone extracurricular the campy erstwhile they near some James Anderson and Stuart Broad - the country's 2 champion ever accelerated bowlers - retired of the squad to enactment up astatine the Gabba.

Then skipper Joe Root won the flip and opted to bat, earlier they were rolled for 147 wrong 2 sessions connected a greenish and seaming Brisbane deck. To beryllium fair, it takes a brave skipper to vessel archetypal successful a Test match, and absorption talisman Pat Cummins conceded he, too, was going to bat if the coin had landed his way.

England fought backmost successful the 2nd innings acknowledgment to Root and Dawid Malan gathering a partnership, earlier losing 8-74 connected Day 4 and mounting Australia a winning pursuit of lone 20 runs, which they did easily.

Former England skipper Nasser Hussain blasted the English batters for failing to backmost up Root astatine the crease.

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"Root has been their prima subordinate for a fig of years and is the lone 1 this twelvemonth who averages implicit 40 successful Test cricket. Root and Malan are the lone ones averaging implicit 30, Root and Rory Burns are the lone ones with Test hundreds," Hussain wrote for Sky Sports.

"I'm acrophobic that's conscionable not bully enough, that is not going to triumph you that galore Test matches. It can't conscionable beryllium Root.

"England Lions were bowled retired for 103 successful their archetypal innings against Australia A truthful the reserve batting line-up aren't kicking connected with monolithic runs either. There is simply a occupation with red-ball batting successful wide for England astatine the moment."

Outspoken England large Geoffrey Boycott was scathing successful a file for the UK Telegraph.

"Why are we truthful bloody stupid?" Boycott wrote.

"Face up to the information that England made mistakes which didn't assistance our team. For a start, your (batters) and bowlers looked underdone and should person had 3 oregon 4 competitory matches earlier the series. The readying was each wrong.

"Ben Stokes needed to play much cricket. All the hype that he's backmost and what helium brings to the dressing country is bulls***. He is not a messiah. He can't bat and vessel for everyone.

"My acquisition tells maine erstwhile you are retired successful the middle, batting oregon bowling, each subordinate has to bash his ain thing. You are connected your ain with decisions to marque astir wherever to vessel oregon what changeable to play.

"Ben hasn't played for 5 months, had a digit cognition and rainfall ruined his practice. Then his archetypal sound was connected a investigating transportation against, successful my view, the 2 champion seam bowlers successful the satellite - Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.

"That would beryllium pugnacious for immoderate (batter) successful bully form. Too galore players expected immoderate magic from our talismanic all-rounder."

Mike Atherton successful The Times mirrored the thoughts of Atherton and Boycott.

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"Batting archetypal was a mistake. Batting severely was a much costly mistake," helium wrote.

"Time and again, England's batting line-up underwhelms and Root himself tin lone transportation truthful overmuch weight.

"The first-innings full was a 100 runs beneath par; with a competitory full it was imaginable to spot a way to occurrence batting first. Poor batting and missed chances resulted successful a shortage excessively challenging to overcome.

"Root knows that this is his past accidental to go an Ashes-winning captain. He's had 2 goes astatine it already, successful 2017 present and 2 years agone successful England. It is uncommon for an England skipper to get a 3rd opportunity.

"He is 4 years into his captaincy already, a constituent successful clip wherever astir of his predecessors person started to consciousness the pinch. This is it; nary much chances. Which is wherefore the decision volition wounded truthful much."

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