Ashes 2021-22: Cameron Green stars as Australia destroys England in Adelaide

Australia is on the cusp of going 2-nil up in the Ashes after its sleeping giant Cam Green turned into Freddie Flintoff to land England's biggest scalps on the most influential day of his young Test career.

Stuart Broad looks frustrated during day two. Picture: Getty Images

A giant became a giant killer on Saturday as Cameron Green drew comparisons to Andrew Flintoff for putting Australia on the path to Ashes glory.

Green might be short of runs, but he’s standing tall as a wicket-taking game-breaker, claiming the big two scalps of Joe Root and Ben Stokes on the most influential day of his young Test career.

The 22-year-old all-rounder was on an international flight when Stokes traumatised Australia at Headingley in 2019, but now there’s a new sheriff in town.

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Mitchell Starc also reinforced why he is the undisputed world heavyweight champion of day-night Test cricket, as he became the first bowler to 50 pink ball wickets (at 18.1) and overtook Jason Gillespie (259) on the list of Australia’s greatest ever wicket-takers (262).

Australia opted against enforcing the follow-on when they bowled England out for 236 to claim a first innings lead of 237, and chose to instead demoralise Root’s Dad’s Army attack even further until an inexplicable run-out of David Warner put a slight dampener on an otherwise one-way procession.

Run-out mishap aside, Harris (21 not out) survived an hour and 10 minutes under lights to show character under fire with Australia 1-45 at stumps and well on their way to batting themselves into an unassailable position on day four 282 runs ahead and with England sentenced to another day of physical and mental torture.

Cam Green was all smiles on day 3.

Earlier, Root (62) and Dawid Malan (80) took advantage of a flat Adelaide wicket to pile on the runs and gift England a rare victory in the opening session of day three, only for the Green monster to rise and smother the England skipper with a spell which confirmed that the hype around the special West Australian talent is very much real.

Former captain Ricky Ponting picked apart Green’s batting technique following another low score on day two, but another Ashes great Michael Vaughan saw enough of the 1.92m colossus with the ball to suggest a once-in-a-generation Ashes force has arrived.

“Cam Green reminds of a young Freddie Flintoff with the ball,” said Fox Cricket expert Vaughan in what is really the ultimate compliment as someone who captained England’s 2005 Ashes hero.

In a brilliant spell delivered in trying conditions, Green bowled seven overs either side of the first break to claim figures of 1-17 with three maidens.

Nathan Lyon compounded England's decision not play a frontline spinner.

Spinner Nathan Lyon (3-58) joined Green in putting the clamps on and maintained the pressure from the other end with a three-over burst of 0-4 including three maidens.

In total, the combined onslaught lasted six consecutive maidens.

Root and Malan had piled on a century stand, but the dam wall burst when Green got the England captain edging in a carbon copy of how he got him at a similarly key moment at the Gabba when England were also threatening to fight their way back into the contest.

Green should have had Ollie Robinson if not for the first and only dropped catch by Australia this series, but then clean bowled Stokes for 34 to send shudders through the England camp about the superstar he might be when his batting clicks at Test level.

Starc (4-37) was predictably lethal, as he ended Malan’s innings, consigned England to further disaster and received a tip of the cap from Gillespie who promised to toast being leapfrogged by the left-arm destroyer in the record books.

Lyon thought he had England No.6 Ollie Pope caught at short leg only for a DRS referral to save the batsman’s bacon – but two balls later he was gone anyway thanks to a superb sharp catch from Marnus Labuschagne in that same position.

Starc struck again to have Jos Buttler caught by another safe pair of hands, David Warner, at first slip, as the Australian machine clicked into gear with Headingley Houdini Ben Stokes (12 not out off 71 balls) and Chris Woakes (23 not out) the last line of defence.

Cam Green has the wood on Joe Root this series.

The two men who had Root under the thumb were forced to watch on from Sydney as the captain left Michael Clarke in his wake in what has been a year for the ages for the England captain.

Root relished in the absence of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood to surpass the great Sachin Tendulkar and Clarke on the list of highest run-scorers ever in a calendar year as Jhye Richardson 0-66 endured a difficult return to the Test arena.

For the second time in two matches, captain Root and partner in crime Malan stood up to be counted when their team needed them the most, but the brave stand didn’t last nearly long enough.

Root passed Tendulkar’s mark of 1562 runs in 2010 and then mowed down Clarke (1595 in 2012), as he moved beyond 1600 runs to sit fourth on the all-time list behind Mohammad Yousuf (1788), Viv Richards (1710) and Graeme Smith (1656).

Resuming at 2-17, Australia failed to find a wicket in the opening session as England hit the accelerator and showed outstanding intent to be 2-140 at the main break.

Originally published as Ashes 2021-22: Cameron Green stars as Australia destroys England in Adelaide

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