And there you have it. England have lost the first Ashes Test by 10 wickets as Cameron Bancroft and David Warner eased Australia over the line as they chased a narrow lead to reach 170-0.
Bancroft will need to learn that run chases aren’t always this easy in Test cricket, but the tourists made it easy for the 25-year-old debutant, who reached 82.
The post-match talk is likely to focus on him in another context; he used the press conference to dismiss reports that he’d been headbutted by Jonny Bairstow in Perth, insisting it was an amicable gesture and that the wicket-keeper simply nudged him instead of shaking his hand.
The Bairstow reports had initially raised further concerns about the culture of the England camp.
However, the more pertinent question concerns their mentality on the field. Their second innings batting collapse was the turning point and though Steve Smith may have been the difference with his knock of 141, this result was as much about England’s failings as the Aussies’ achievements.
Not one England player made 100. Herein lies the first problem, with Joe Root top-scoring in the second innings with 51, the captain yet again unable to convert to a century in the latter half of a match. James Vince’s 83 represented their best effort until he was undone by a fantastic direct hit from Nathan Lyon. Alistair Cook’s labours saw him reach two and seven. Chris Woakes’ first innings duck was almost as disappointing, with so much resting on the all-rounder’s shoulders.
What are Root’s men missing? The obvious answer is Ben Stokes. The other is pace. Australia tipped the Test in their favour because their pace simply blew away England’s tail end. As many predicted, Mitchell Starc was the main threat taking 6-128, with Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Lyon all weighing in with wickets. Whereas their established stars were able to take the pressure off their less experienced players, England relied heavily on Mark Stoneman, Vince, and Dawid Malan in the first innings, which proved to be their undoing in the second.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom; until day three, the Test was very nicely poised. Stuart Broad and James Anderson offered some hope in Australia’s first innings, while on day four, Moeen Ali had promised to start a fightback, reaching 40 and putting on a decent partnership with Bairstow before his controversial stumping – on balance, he was out, but the umpires must have had a difficult time deciding it as it certainly wasn’t clear.
With the ball, Ali did not have the impact he would have liked. A cut finger was clearly bothering him from the second day onwards.
This is not a top-notch Australia side, which may give England some hope going forward. Root did his best to outwit them, including with some bizarre field placings, yet he will be better off focusing on what matters – he and his team-mates not falling for obvious ploys by the Australian attack.
England have only twice lost the first Ashes Test in Australia and won the series, though they can’t realistically have been expecting much more at the Gabba.
