Thankfully England have denied Australia another 5-0 Ashes home victory and ended a run of eight straight losses down under.
They played with more skill over a longer period than they have done all series so far, while their more experienced performers finally came to party as Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad, in particular, excelled.
Halfway through day four, there looked to be only one side who could win – and a much-needed victory in Australia seemed within Joe Root’s grasp.
That’s the good news out of the way. Now the bad news. Rain washed out the last one and a half sessions of day four, just as England looked like getting on top of their hosts with two of their top four back in the pavilion. Then Australian pundits started an unnecessary and completely unfounded storm over alleged ball-tampering by James Anderson. Steve Smith again proved immovable and finally, the MCG pitch showed itself ill-fit for world-class Test cricket.
It all meant what could have been a riveting last couple of days of Test cricket fizzled out – the pitch the only true winner as Australia dug in for an ill-deserved draw. Ill-deserved by all except their outstanding captain Smith, and the other world class batsman in their ranks David Warner, who followed up a fine first innings century with his slowest ever 86 in the second.
Root’s part-time spin and, just six runs later, Broad dismissing Shaun Marsh to leave England needing six wickets at just 14 runs behind, gave the visitors a brief glimmer of final-day hope. But Smith – again – was imperious. He’s been a thorn throughout the series, and never looked like giving his wicket away, helped in no small part on this occasion by a flat, lifeless pitch. Indeed, that even he criticised the wicket showed how disappointing it was. You’d like to think the ICC would take a closer look and the MCG will face sanctions. For a series so anticipated, and so widely watched, to have a pitch that is not assisting any type of bowler deep into day five is disgraceful. Had the series still been on the line, perhaps the inquisition would be greater.
But it’s no doubt it contributed significantly to denying England – and their fantastic fans who showed up again in numbers, while the home supporters deserted their side with masses of empty seats – a welcome victory.
They will at least go into the final Test in Sydney with some momentum. Cook’s world-class unbeaten 244 – becoming the first Englishman to carry his bat in a Test innings for 20 years and with the highest score of the 52 men to have done so before – illustrated just how difficult it will be to replace the former captain when he does retire. Another whose place has been doubted is Broad who responded with some fine spells in Australia’s first innings – taking 4-51 – before combining superbly with Cook for a brilliant 56 of 88 balls.
It means only all-rounder Moeen Ali, who England so needed to step up more than ever before in the absence of star all-rounder Ben Stokes, is perhaps the only player yet to have any kind of impact on this series for the visitors.
What next?
So it’s onto the final Test of the series, in Sydney, where England will be hoping to return home with at least one victory.
There are unlikely to be many changes. Tom Curran showed enough promise to be given another go at the Australians, while the batting lineup won’t be improved by any of those waiting in the wings, such as Gary Ballance.
The one change that is likely to be made is for Ali to be put out of his misery and be replaced by a genuine frontline spinner in Mason Crane. The Hampshire leg-spinner was considered for his debut at the MCG before Root plumped for Curran and giving Ali another chance.
Now he will surely get his opportunity. Ali needs to be taken out of the firing line. Mentally he is shot to pieces by bowling at an average of 135, while his Australian counterpart Nathan Lyon has thrived. Ali, who started the series as an attacking number six, averages just 19 with the bat, too.
If the SCG pitch is as welcoming of slower bowlers as is usual, there would be a case perhaps for Ali to be retained mostly as a batsman with Crane leading the spin bowling alongside him – but England are unlikely to leave out a seamer.
Ali will come again, he’s too good a cricketer not to. He had the finest summer of his career and in home conditions looks a world-class all-rounder. But his long-term future may well be as a lower-order batsman who bowls a bit – something he would no doubt prefer anyway. For that to become a reality, though, England need a new spinner to stand up. Crane now has an outstanding chance, one everyone associated with the tourists will be desperately hoping he takes.
