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England captain Alastair Cook dejected after Australia's win in Melbourne. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images
UK VIEW: MCG LOSS THE WORST OF SERIES 8:11
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Sky Sports UK's Tom White says that England is shocked at just how poorly their cricket team has played in this Ashes series after surrendering a dominant position in the Fourth Test to lose their fourth consecutive match of the series.
England captain Alastair Cook dejected a...UK view: MCG loss the worst of series
AUSTRALIA deserve every one of the plaudits that came its way in the Ashes but seriously, what about the Poms?
It's hats off to Australia's bowlers for their hostility and precision, to Michael Clark for his captaincy and Brad Haddin for finding the secret to eternal youth.
The main reason why England was so bad was that Australia was so good. But here's 10 other reasons behind the shock demise of an England team that had lost just one of its last 16 Tests before landing in Australia.
ALASTAIR COOK'S HORROR DAY FOUR AT THE MCG 1:17
Play video
A series of dropped catches and obscure tactics from England skipper Alastair Cook on Day Four of the Fourth Test has raised questions over just how well he is coping with the pressure of leading an underperforming touring side in Australia.
THE SLOW FUSE
For the past couple of years England have been the second slowest scoring Test nation behind Bangladesh.
If you walk through the jungle of Test cricket with the speed of a crippled turtle, at some point the lions are going to storm from the darkness.
There was no doubt Australia's seamers bowled brilliantly but its much easier for a bowler to hit the spot if they are not being challenged.
COOK ACCEPTS PRESSURE ON CAPTAINCY, CLARKE JOYOUS 2:48
Play video
There were opposing attitudes in the press conferences held by Alastair Cook and Michael Clarke, with the England captain conceding he could be replaced as leader for the final Ashes Test.
THE FALSE PARADISE
When England prepared five Test home decks with barely a live blade of grass on them at home they built a false Utopia for their spinner Graeme Swann.
They may have won the series 3-0 but Swann was always going to face a far tougher life in Australia where wickets were flatter, boundaries deeper and batsmen were hellbent on revenge.
ANDY FLOWER ASKING HIMSELF THE TOUGH QUESTIONS 1:55
Play video
England coach Andy Flower says he's asked himself some tough questions but won't comment on his immediate future in charge of the England squad nor that of captain Alastair Cook.
THE TALL GUYS
England's Plan A for the tour was to stock their side with sky-scraping fast men and put Australia's batsmen on the stepladder.
It never happened. The fading Chris Tremlett played one Test, Boyd Rankin and Steve Finn none, which was a significant vote of no confidence given England were desperate for penetration all tour.
WHAT A ****
IN all nine Tests in this curious back-to-back Ashes schedule the side who has won the toss either won the match or dominated it.
Losing all four tosses in Australia is no excuse for England being worse than terrible but it didn't help.
SHELL-SHOCKED
Only Stuart Broad seemed mentally prepared for the physical bombardment and verbal warfare that showered down upon the tourists this tour.
The rest seemed rocked by it.
England's tail either had no idea of the short pitched hailstorm they would be served up or they were simply unable to properly prepare for it.
LOSING TROTT
When Jonathan Trott decided to go home due to a nerve-related condition on the Saturday of the first Test, England's fighting spirit went with him.
He was their batting rock, the quirky, insular performer who used to put others at ease. His departure caused England deep distress in all sorts of ways.
SHANE WATSON CONFIDENT HE WILL BE FIT FOR FINAL ASHES TEST 0:43
Play video
Australia batsman Shane Watson is confident he will recover from a groin injury in time for the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney.
THE KOOKABURRA CURSE
FOR too many years to remember England's seamers tremble at the very mention of the Kookaburra ball used in Australia.
It produces less seam and swing that the English Duke ball and reduces Jimmy Anderson from a wicked sorcerer at home to an honest toiler in Australia.
WHO'S HOT AND WHO'S NOT AHEAD OF THE SYDNEY TEST 2:24
Play video
After positive contributions in Melbourne, Brad Haddin Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Lyon and Chris Rogers will be feeling comfortable ahead of the Sydney Test, but George Bailey will be looking over his shoulder after another failure in his debut series.
THE (UN) HAPPY COUPLE
England coach Andy Flower and captain Alastair Cook have had their moments in charge of England but they are in no danger of replacing The Two Ronnies as a comedy act.
When Australia was down in England Darren Lehmann invited wives on tour, got the music going on the team bus and got the team smiling again.
The English setup is more of a military operation and the whole mood of the tour had a grim, grey pall hanging over it from the opening weeks.
THE BRIDGE TOO FAR
The most revealing interview from an England player all series came from Kevin Pietersen during the fourth Test when he said his team found the back-to-back series mentally brutal.
Australia returned from England intoxicated by the scent of quick revenge. England - in Pietersen's words - were like an Olympic athlete who had won a gold medal and having the emotional let down which often follows great highs. They may deny it until their dying breath but it's the truth - they just lacked the fire.
THE PAD FREE ZONE
Incredibly, after four Tests, no Australian batsman has fallen lbw. That is a statement of how England failed to maintain a disciplined, probing line and length and often strayed too short.
UK VIEW: MCG LOSS THE WORST OF SERIES 8:11
Play video
Sky Sports UK's Tom White says that England is shocked at just how poorly their cricket team has played in this Ashes series after surrendering a dominant position in the Fourth Test to lose their fourth consecutive match of the series.
England captain Alastair Cook dejected a...UK view: MCG loss the worst of series
AUSTRALIA deserve every one of the plaudits that came its way in the Ashes but seriously, what about the Poms?
It's hats off to Australia's bowlers for their hostility and precision, to Michael Clark for his captaincy and Brad Haddin for finding the secret to eternal youth.
The main reason why England was so bad was that Australia was so good. But here's 10 other reasons behind the shock demise of an England team that had lost just one of its last 16 Tests before landing in Australia.
ALASTAIR COOK'S HORROR DAY FOUR AT THE MCG 1:17
Play video
A series of dropped catches and obscure tactics from England skipper Alastair Cook on Day Four of the Fourth Test has raised questions over just how well he is coping with the pressure of leading an underperforming touring side in Australia.
THE SLOW FUSE
For the past couple of years England have been the second slowest scoring Test nation behind Bangladesh.
If you walk through the jungle of Test cricket with the speed of a crippled turtle, at some point the lions are going to storm from the darkness.
There was no doubt Australia's seamers bowled brilliantly but its much easier for a bowler to hit the spot if they are not being challenged.
COOK ACCEPTS PRESSURE ON CAPTAINCY, CLARKE JOYOUS 2:48
Play video
There were opposing attitudes in the press conferences held by Alastair Cook and Michael Clarke, with the England captain conceding he could be replaced as leader for the final Ashes Test.
THE FALSE PARADISE
When England prepared five Test home decks with barely a live blade of grass on them at home they built a false Utopia for their spinner Graeme Swann.
They may have won the series 3-0 but Swann was always going to face a far tougher life in Australia where wickets were flatter, boundaries deeper and batsmen were hellbent on revenge.
ANDY FLOWER ASKING HIMSELF THE TOUGH QUESTIONS 1:55
Play video
England coach Andy Flower says he's asked himself some tough questions but won't comment on his immediate future in charge of the England squad nor that of captain Alastair Cook.
THE TALL GUYS
England's Plan A for the tour was to stock their side with sky-scraping fast men and put Australia's batsmen on the stepladder.
It never happened. The fading Chris Tremlett played one Test, Boyd Rankin and Steve Finn none, which was a significant vote of no confidence given England were desperate for penetration all tour.
WHAT A ****
IN all nine Tests in this curious back-to-back Ashes schedule the side who has won the toss either won the match or dominated it.
Losing all four tosses in Australia is no excuse for England being worse than terrible but it didn't help.
SHELL-SHOCKED
Only Stuart Broad seemed mentally prepared for the physical bombardment and verbal warfare that showered down upon the tourists this tour.
The rest seemed rocked by it.
England's tail either had no idea of the short pitched hailstorm they would be served up or they were simply unable to properly prepare for it.
LOSING TROTT
When Jonathan Trott decided to go home due to a nerve-related condition on the Saturday of the first Test, England's fighting spirit went with him.
He was their batting rock, the quirky, insular performer who used to put others at ease. His departure caused England deep distress in all sorts of ways.
SHANE WATSON CONFIDENT HE WILL BE FIT FOR FINAL ASHES TEST 0:43
Play video
Australia batsman Shane Watson is confident he will recover from a groin injury in time for the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney.
THE KOOKABURRA CURSE
FOR too many years to remember England's seamers tremble at the very mention of the Kookaburra ball used in Australia.
It produces less seam and swing that the English Duke ball and reduces Jimmy Anderson from a wicked sorcerer at home to an honest toiler in Australia.
WHO'S HOT AND WHO'S NOT AHEAD OF THE SYDNEY TEST 2:24
Play video
After positive contributions in Melbourne, Brad Haddin Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Lyon and Chris Rogers will be feeling comfortable ahead of the Sydney Test, but George Bailey will be looking over his shoulder after another failure in his debut series.
THE (UN) HAPPY COUPLE
England coach Andy Flower and captain Alastair Cook have had their moments in charge of England but they are in no danger of replacing The Two Ronnies as a comedy act.
When Australia was down in England Darren Lehmann invited wives on tour, got the music going on the team bus and got the team smiling again.
The English setup is more of a military operation and the whole mood of the tour had a grim, grey pall hanging over it from the opening weeks.
THE BRIDGE TOO FAR
The most revealing interview from an England player all series came from Kevin Pietersen during the fourth Test when he said his team found the back-to-back series mentally brutal.
Australia returned from England intoxicated by the scent of quick revenge. England - in Pietersen's words - were like an Olympic athlete who had won a gold medal and having the emotional let down which often follows great highs. They may deny it until their dying breath but it's the truth - they just lacked the fire.
THE PAD FREE ZONE
Incredibly, after four Tests, no Australian batsman has fallen lbw. That is a statement of how England failed to maintain a disciplined, probing line and length and often strayed too short.
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Losing Trott? They have managed to make a complete hash of the series with the gutless players they have on the park already without wanting another even more gutless player out there.
I believe England lost it mentally before they even started this current series. They believed it was a formality to win this series, thought they could just turn up and it would all fall into place just like it did in England. You could see the smug attitude as soon as they arrived, I remember one of the squad in an interview saying someone along the lines of... "we didn't play our best cricket in England but still won it 3-0" inferring "imagine what would have happened if we did play our best?" Full of themselves or what? Very accurately described by Swann in my opinion, some of them had their heads well and truly up their arses.
Spot on Advantage Aussie, they thought all they had to do was turn up............... and it's now time to wield the axe. Anderson Panesar Prior Peterson should be offered the chance to announce their retirement from Test Cricket before they are dropped. Cook should be told unless there is a marked improvement in his performance he will be dropped. Only ones emerged with any credit from this tour, Broad, Stokes, jury still out on Root and Bairstow. .................. Bell should be listed as Missing in Action.
i think there have been some uneasy friendships in england dressing room , which got by whilst
results were favourable, then its fallen apart when it went wrong in first test
no overall control sfter that, as lifeboats were fought over
funny old world
results were favourable, then its fallen apart when it went wrong in first test
no overall control sfter that, as lifeboats were fought over
funny old world
In order of magnitude, Lehman/Johnson, hubris, Clarkes captaincy, McDermott, Flower, Saker and Gooch, Cooks captaincy, Haddin, Trott.
This has been a spectacular rally by Australia inspired by Lehmans 'call to arms', and Johnsons wrecking of the England late order. Clarke has kept his foot on England's throat throughout. The bowling unit has been superb, lines and lengths near perfect and plans executed, McDermott must take a great deal of credit for that.
By contrast England's back room has been a shambles, plans have unraveled within minutes of Cook taking the field, and as a consequence England have lost the first hour of play to Australia on day two,three,four and five of nearly every test, Selections have been mystifying, the batting order pure folly, and the bowling almost entirely reliant on Broad and reverse swing, which rarely eventuated. Cook is a poor captain, and will not score the big runs England need from him whilst encumbered by leadership.
Haddin has played with immense, responsibility, intelligence and verve, and has tipped games back in Australia's favour throughout this series.
On hubris and Trott, it's difficult to explain such capitulation without factoring arrogance, smugness and conceit into the mix and these are traits quite familiar in this current English side. And whilst it could be argued Trott was already a shot duck in this series, his early and dramatic departure sent important messages to both dressing rooms.
This has been a spectacular rally by Australia inspired by Lehmans 'call to arms', and Johnsons wrecking of the England late order. Clarke has kept his foot on England's throat throughout. The bowling unit has been superb, lines and lengths near perfect and plans executed, McDermott must take a great deal of credit for that.
By contrast England's back room has been a shambles, plans have unraveled within minutes of Cook taking the field, and as a consequence England have lost the first hour of play to Australia on day two,three,four and five of nearly every test, Selections have been mystifying, the batting order pure folly, and the bowling almost entirely reliant on Broad and reverse swing, which rarely eventuated. Cook is a poor captain, and will not score the big runs England need from him whilst encumbered by leadership.
Haddin has played with immense, responsibility, intelligence and verve, and has tipped games back in Australia's favour throughout this series.
On hubris and Trott, it's difficult to explain such capitulation without factoring arrogance, smugness and conceit into the mix and these are traits quite familiar in this current English side. And whilst it could be argued Trott was already a shot duck in this series, his early and dramatic departure sent important messages to both dressing rooms.
every1 seems to forget we were lucky to win in england 3 nil. 2 draws the aussies should of won, and 2 of the england wins really could of been aussie 1s [ ie if broad had walked aussies prob would of won that game, and the 1st test dodgy drs did it for england
cobblers!
Aussie were an absolute embarrassment in England culminating with the debacle at Lords. A poor Australia just hid how ragged England had become. The Duke was the winner in that series!
A mistimed declaration by Clarke could have cost Aussie 4-0 at the Oval but England were too dumb to realise that Clarke would cry like a baby with a few balls to go and the game lost. So much for Clarke's Captaincy. Then he wins the toss at the G and invites England into a match winning position. His bowlers and England's batters save his embarrassment AGAIN!
How good would Brealey have been without Botham? How good would Clarke have been in this series without Johnsalez and Haddin combined with the total demise of the English batting and wrong bowling combinations?. I would say he was extremely lucky but you make your own luck and maybe he deserved it. England had Aus at 130 odd for 6 a couple of times and the lack of Finn may have saved them!
That is not to say England did not capitulate! You don't need a degree in the Art of the Bleedin Obvious to see where England's problems are the bigger problem is where they go from here.
Aussie were an absolute embarrassment in England culminating with the debacle at Lords. A poor Australia just hid how ragged England had become. The Duke was the winner in that series!
A mistimed declaration by Clarke could have cost Aussie 4-0 at the Oval but England were too dumb to realise that Clarke would cry like a baby with a few balls to go and the game lost. So much for Clarke's Captaincy. Then he wins the toss at the G and invites England into a match winning position. His bowlers and England's batters save his embarrassment AGAIN!
How good would Brealey have been without Botham? How good would Clarke have been in this series without Johnsalez and Haddin combined with the total demise of the English batting and wrong bowling combinations?. I would say he was extremely lucky but you make your own luck and maybe he deserved it. England had Aus at 130 odd for 6 a couple of times and the lack of Finn may have saved them!
That is not to say England did not capitulate! You don't need a degree in the Art of the Bleedin Obvious to see where England's problems are the bigger problem is where they go from here.
whisperingseeth if my auntie had nads she would be my uncle."If" is a bigger cop out then the sky deity in low earth orbit.
Eng believed their own publicity- only had a plan A-
picked 3 lamposts-tremlett clearly past it/finn ,not trusted &rankin ???/why not up to it.
cling to the notion that the next poshest bloke should be capt
imo-only broad & stokes emerge with any credit-root and bairstow hugely over=rated-i would keep bell and go back to prior in the future-not sure about any others- as for borthwick-he's batted well but bowling is not up to much-weird slection....
picked 3 lamposts-tremlett clearly past it/finn ,not trusted &rankin ???/why not up to it.
cling to the notion that the next poshest bloke should be capt
imo-only broad & stokes emerge with any credit-root and bairstow hugely over=rated-i would keep bell and go back to prior in the future-not sure about any others- as for borthwick-he's batted well but bowling is not up to much-weird slection....
root may be overrated but he deserves a place in the team on merit by some margin
cook
kp
bell
root
stokes
broad
onions
panesar
a wicket keeper.....id play kieswetter
another batsman ......who knows ?
rankin was the fastest ive seen last season so should be worth a look
cook
kp
bell
root
stokes
broad
onions
panesar
a wicket keeper.....id play kieswetter
another batsman ......who knows ?
rankin was the fastest ive seen last season so should be worth a look
Surely this taking the piss out of national selection has got to stop. Beyond a joke now. Ballance, from Zimbabwe looking to take his place for his test debut.
Was funny at first, but this is just ridiculous.
3 caps just been presented:
Ballance, Borthwick and Rankin to make their debut. In place of I believe Root, Bresnan, and maybe Panesar?
Was funny at first, but this is just ridiculous.
3 caps just been presented:
Ballance, Borthwick and Rankin to make their debut. In place of I believe Root, Bresnan, and maybe Panesar?
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