A terrible year for England’s red-ball batting was marred by another collapse, as they lost the Ashes to Australia in Melbourne.
And the statistics show just how bad it has been for England this calendar year, with only captain Joe Root and Rory Burns scoring more. extras column.
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It was a miserable second innings for England, all out for only 68, their lowest score in Australia since 1904.
What was an embarrassment for England was that the Ashes was decided before half of the scheduled series.
Apart from Root, Rory Burns is the only player to score more runs this year than extras.
But Burns himself Six Duck, guilty of cheaply losing his wicket at crucial juncture.
The opening batting combinations of Burns, Dom Sibley, Zak Crowley and Haseeb Hameed have been faltering throughout the years.
Hameed has also had four ducks so far, including two in the Ashes.
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Moeen Ali has suggested structural changes by the ECB – the England and Wales Cricket Board – as England are now beaten in a Test series by India and Australia in 2021.
The England spinner had retired from Test cricket in September but says England’s downfall has been “coming for some time”.
He said: “I don’t think we’ve been good enough.
“Australia are well ahead of England and they have beaten us in all three matches.
“You just realized that sometimes we’re looking at the cracks in the house.
“When we go away, it’s always difficult and if Joe Root doesn’t score, we really struggle to score a competitive 200 or anything.
“I will actually reduce the games to championship cricket, but I will play them at the right time when the wickets are good, the sun will come out. I think it will make a big difference.
“We go back when we play first-class cricket, wickets are very difficult for the batsmen.
“We’ve got some soul to do.”
Australia is well ahead of England and they have beaten us in all three matches.
Moeen Ali
Jonathan Trott agreed with Ali and said that red-ball cricket is not preferred in England.
The England opener, who scored 3,835 runs in 52 Tests for England, said it has been ‘pushed to the side’.
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No one can question Joe Root’s batting. He was rated by the ICC as the best Test batsman in the world before being overtaken by Marnus Labuschagne during this series.
But as a captain, Yorkshireman is now under high pressure and some expect him to lose his job as captain when the team returns to England.
Throughout the tour of Australia, questions have been raised on his decisions.
Leaving, at least, England’s greatest bowling combination of Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting told BT Sports: “Choose your best team from the start and then see how far that group can take you.
“The fact that Anderson and Broad did not play in Brisbane is staggering.
“The fact that Joe Root didn’t bowl before in Brisbane was shocking,
“All their plans, and ideas, and structures are completely wrong and it comes back to bite them.”
Former cricketer and BBC analyst Jonathan Agnew said: “I would be surprised if Joe Root remains captain.”
I would be surprised if Joe Root continues as captain.
Jonathan Agnew
