Ashes 2021-22: All the fallout from fifth Test between Australia and England
The Aussies were very, very good again in Hobart, but the England team has real problems. Did they give up? Michael Vaughan thinks so - and that's not the worst of it.
Joe Root may have led one of the most non-competitive teams to visit Australian shores but he declared he is the right man to lead England forward and wants to continue on as skipper.
Root presided over a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Australia, and only held out a whitewash by one wicket in Sydney.
The team failed to reach 300 in any innings across the five Tests in a dismal display as the visitors' batting was blown away by the Australian bowlers.
England was pasted by former captains Michael Vaughan and Ian Botham after fighting back in Hobart to be with a chance to win the fifth Test only to lose 10-56 to be thrashed in three days.
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Vaughan accused the team of throwing in the towel, while Botham labelled them embarrassing and gutless.
“This has been embarrassing. When you see an England side throwing in the towel … that’s what they’ve done in the last hour, they’ve just thrown the towel in,” Vaughan told Fox Cricket.
“I just can’t accept when I see an England side throw the towel in. When you see a team just throw in the towel that’s when you go, ‘There’s problems’.
“There’s real problems in English cricket. Ollie Robinson, I know he’s a bowler that bats a bit. But to be backing away first ball – I can’t have that. You’ve got to show a little bit of fight.”
But Root – who has led England in more Tests than any other captain – said he was up for the fight.
“I’d love the opportunity to take this team forward and turn things around,” Root said.
“The performances haven’t been good but I’d love the opportunity to turn things around and start putting in performances worthy of an English team.
England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Tom Harrison had already flagged a review of the country’s red ball set up after the Ashes was lost after the third Test in Melbourne.
“I also believe I am the right man to take this team forward,” Root said.
“If that decision is taken out of my hands, so be it.
“I have the appetite to take this team forward.”
England has not won a Test in Australia in its past 15, losing 13 and drawing two across the past three series.
Root said he was quite emotional post match and lamented his side's batting.“It is quite evident at this moment in time Australia is the better team in all areas,” he said.
“It hurts me to say that.”
England’s next Test tour to the West Indies for a three match series starting March 9.
Staggering stat proves dominance of Aussie quicks
Cameron Green has stamped his authority as the man to spearhead Australia to world domination after his tide-turning bowling inflicted abject humiliation on England.
England were 0-68 and starting to feel bullish in pursuit of 271 to win when the Green giant dispatched the top three batsmen Rory Burns, Dawid Malan and Zak Crawley either side of tea, sparking an avalanche of 10-56 to deliver a dazzling 4-0 Ashes triumph in Hobart.
Never before in Nathan Lyon’s 104-Test career has he ever failed to bowl a single delivery in a match, but that’s how ruthless Australia’s quicks were with pink ball in hand, as captain Pat Cummins (21) finished his first series in charge as the highest wicket-taker and Mitchell Starc (19) and Scott Boland (18) not far behind.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan accused England of “throwing in the towel”, with Australia blitzing their way to a 146-run win in Hobart which means they ultimately fell just one wicket in Sydney short of a 5-0 whitewash.
Twin ton superstar Usman Khawaja made a quick dash off the podium - due to his Muslim faith - as teammates started spraying champagne, but quickly returned to take part in the jubilant scenes which celebrated Travis Head winning man-of-the-match and man-of-the-series honours.
History-making captain Cummins – the first fast bowler to ever win a Test let along a series in charge of Australia – praised his team.
“It is pretty crazy, even as a professional cricketer these are series you have in your diary a couple of years out and to be at the end of a five Test series with so many positives, obviously winning 4-0, it is just huge. So really pumped,” said Cummins.
“I’m really happy as a captain I’m not really sure Nathan Lyon agrees with me. That has been a highlight as well, not only the 11 guys playing, but I think we had about 15 guys used in this series and some really tough calls to leave out some high quality players.
“It feels like we are really building to something big. Someone like Cam Green in his second year to grow both as a batter and a bowler, as well as some of the younger players – Trav Head, Marcus Harris, Jhye Richardson, and then the old stagers like Scotty Boland and all the old pros continue on their form is just brilliant.
“I’m super excited for (what’s coming up). With the pandemic one thing we haven’t played a lot of is Test cricket overseas. I can’t wait to show our wares overseas and judge ourselves in all conditions, so that’s our next big focus for this team.”
For England, the embarrassment was no less profound than when they were swept in 2006-07 and 2013-14 – with captain Joe Root still helplessly winless on Australian soil.
England went from being rated better than a 50 per cent chance on CricViz to win the Test, to two hours later being all out in the space of 22 overs, with Cummins and Boland both joining Green with three-wicket second innings hauls.
Root was done by a low shooter from Boland (who dismissed him four times in the series) which summed up yet another nightmare campaign in which the Ashes were lost inside 12 days and the MCG and Hobart Tests over inside three.
England coach Chris Silverwood appears set for the sack and bizarrely Australian coach Justin Langer is also fighting for a new contract.
Wicketkeeper Alex Carey alleviated the pressure on his position with a crucial 49 with the bat which proved critical, before he put the icing on the cake with two superb catches to his right.
Captain Cummins has now set his sights on taking his blossoming team to No.1 in the world as they prepare to hit the road to Pakistan and Sri Lanka – with 22-year-old all-rounder Green the key to it all.
Green’s status as the most precious commodity in Australian cricket is beyond doubt.
Former Ashes star Ryan Harris predicted a new Green would break out in this series and emerge as a genuine wicket-taking strike weapon as opposed to the containment bowler who felt his way on debut against India last year.
And so it has proven.
With Australia’s attack put under more pressure by England’s batters than they had been all series, the Green giant grew even taller in the moment of need and knocked over the top three wickets consecutively.
Bowling searing pace with genuine bounce from his imposing height of nearly two metres, Green took 13 wickets for the series at an incredible average of 15.46 runs per wicket – to go with two half centuries with the bat at a healthy 32.57.
These are the kind of numbers for a 22-year-old that reinforce the growing belief he could be a once-in-a-generation all-round superstar.
"He'll dominate one or two Ashes series on his own,” said former England captain, Michael Vaughan.
Earlier, hostile speed machine Mark Wood ravaged his way to six wickets as Australia was bowled out for just 155 in their second innings in Hobart, giving England more than a sniff of winning their first Test down under since 2010-11.
The embattled Burns and Crawley piled on 68 – the biggest opening partnership for their side, not only this series, but since 2013 on these shores.
But then entered Green.
Thundering through the defences of Burns on the last delivery before tea was taken was an immense breakthrough, and Green only upped the ante after the interval when he sent a short ball cannoning into the helmet of Malan, who had to have his broken head ware replaced.
Green appeared to shake up the confidence of Malan and a short time later had sent the zing bails exploding into light again to leave England 2-82.
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