(Cricket news) Australia comprehensively beat England 4-0 to win the Ashes. The series could've easily been a whitewash as England managed to draw the 4th Test with just 1 wicket left. The result was because of a combination of Australia being good and England being underwhelming.
From the Australian point of view it was a perfect performance despite having the home advantage and England not being their best version. It is very clear that Australia are on the right track to getting back to their best even though they are not there yet. Australia are smoothly transitioning in new quick bowlers into the side as Scott Boland had a fantastic debut series. Micheal Neser and Jhye Richardson did well in the 1 game they played. The Aussies are working on the depth of their bowling and it's reaping rewards already.
The big plus point was Cameron Green's outstanding performance. The All-rounder made his debut in 2020 against India. He had a few decent performances with the bat but failed to take a wicket. In the Ashes he picked up 13 wickets and scored 238 runs with the willow. New captain Pat Cummins did his usual bit with the ball as he was the highest wicket taker with 21 wickets. His captaincy also was very good and didn't affect his bowling as people thought it would.
Travis Head was named player of the series for being the highest run scorer with 357 runs in 6 innings with a strike rate of 86.02. He scored two match winning hundreds and has now stamped his authority on the number 5 spot. Usman Khawaja came in as his replacement in the 4th Test and hit two tons. He was then asked to open the innings which is an area of concern for Australia. They have been unable to find a steady opening partner for David Warner. Overall Australia have a lot of positives they can take into the rest of the WTC cycle.
England on the other hand have had a long, hard and disappointing tour. Mark Wood's performance was possibly the only positive of the series. The seamer picked up 17 wickets in 7 innings but often had no support. England are well and truly missing the presence of Jofra Archer. Now might be the time for England to start phasing out James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Ben Stokes had a few decent periods in the series but wasn't good enough overall. This is his first tour since returning to the international scene and soon he should be back to his best. The opening slot is a big area of concern as all English openers look very inconsistent. Jack Leech who is the lead spinner also had very few good spells in the 3 games he played. England desperately needs a revamp in the entire structure. Their next red ball series will be away against the West Indies.
Also read: KL Rahul should be made Test skipper: former BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale
