England’s Ashes celebrations wouldn’t have been any different

Nathan Lyon and Steve Smith of Australia celebrate with teammates while singing the team song on the pitch after Australia claimed victory to retain the Ashes. Picture: Getty Images

As sure as night follows day, beers in the dressing room follow an Australian Ashes series triumph.

Possibly too many beers, depending on where you set your limits.

The Australian cricket team certainly broke out the stubbies after their win over England at Old Trafford, which meant they retained the Ashes. And it’s landed them in a touch of slightly warm water.

Man of the moment Steve Smith has been accused of donning a pair of glasses to mock bespectacled English spinner Jack Leach, when the well-lubricated Aussies returned to the field in Manchester a couple of hours after play ended.

Celebrations continued long into the night at Old Trafford. Picture: Getty Images

According to reports, Nathan Lyon led the charge, addressing the team with a “foul-mouthed rant” against the British media.

He then invited Smith into the middle of a team huddle where he, “wiped a pair of glasses, put them on and shadow batted left-handed to much laughter from his pals”.

There was chanting too. Something along the lines of: “Who did we beat? England. How did we do it? Easy.”

And to the tune of the Barmy Army favourite “Same old Aussies, always cheating”, they sang “Same old Painey, always winning” about triumphant skipper Tim Paine.

Then the whole team dropped and did 10 push-ups.

The Australian Team do push ups as they celebrate on the pitch. Picture: Getty Images

The next morning, as the Australian players were staring bleary-eyed through shocking hangovers, the British press was getting into a lather about Aussies disrespecting the home team. Not up to the required standards, apparently.

“Steve Smith was already the pantomime villain for England fans but he has riled them even more following Australia’s celebrations after they retained the Ashes,” Dan Ripley wrote in The Daily Mail.

Steve Smith the day after victory. Picture: Getty Images

Tim Paine boards the team bus. Picture: Getty Images

“While Smith has made fun of England’s bowling attack by consistently posting huge crucial scores throughout the series, he has taken the mocking to outside the Test arena too after poking fun at spin bowler Jack Leach.”

The Australian camp, in a desperate attempt to talk its way out of this one, tried to suggest Smith was not mocking Leach but paying tribute to former Aussie Test opening batsman Chris Roger, also a left-hander who wore glasses.

Even the photographer who took the picture of Smith in specs, Getty Images snapper Ryan Pierse, tried to say it was all about Rogers not Leach.

Jack Leach. Picture: AFP

Yeah, right. Nobody’s buying that.

Probably better to cop it on the chin, apologise to Leach next time the Aussies see him and move on.

It was a boozy, joyous celebration by a group of athletes who have been under enormous physical and emotional pressure for the past 12 months. A let-it-all-hang-out eruption of relief, elation and boisterous enthusiasm.

Good taste, in such circumstances, sometimes goes out the window.

Just as it would have in the England camp, I’m sure, if they had managed to win the series.

In fact, spinner Graeme Swann admitted that after England won the 2013 Ashes with a win a the Oval, the players returned to the field late at night, after several beers, and urinated on the pitch. Makes a bit of mimicry seem tame.