[Cricket] England v Australia- 5th Test- Sydney 3rd-7th January 2018

[Audax]

What annoys me more than the gutless nature of this series defeat is Joe Root's (and others) insistence throughout the tour that we were at any point competitive. We've been absolutely slaughtered and nearly all our players have been complete turd.

That's way over the top. Your boys had at least one day in each match where you were making the Aussies work really hard.

Brisbane - at various points on day 1 you were making us sweat. What you lost was some key moments, such as Vince not going on to get the 100. But still, end of a rain affected day at 196/4 you'd be happy with. Eventual total of 302 was disappointing, but then having the Aussie 4 down for cheap at the end of day 2 you'd say you're ahead at that point. You then got outclassed on Day 3 and 4.

Adelaide - first innings, had us in trouble at 4 down for 160ish, and then let us off the hook with runs from Paine and Cummins propping up our total. We bowl you out cheap, and then Smith makes a clanger decision and opens the door and your boys took the opportunity really well. Not just under the perfect evenings conditions; you finished the job the next morning as well. 354 still a steep chase, but you had the time to do it and this was one of the innings where Root had got himself well and truly in and then bottled it.

Perth - Your first innings 400+, Malan and Bairstow with centuries, but the tail failed to contribute and the bowlers had nothing. Still, day 1 was yours with 305 for just 4 down at close of play.

Melbourne - Your best of the series, and forced us to shut up shop to ensure the draw.

SCG - Most one-sided game of the series in the end, but it's a very different game if day 1 ends at 3 down instead of 5 down. Without those two late wickets on day 1, that's England's day.


It's easy to look at the scoreline of 4-0, and the individual match results, and say England were thrashed. But there was some truth in what Root was saying: England did compete during phases of every single test. Where you lost each match, and the series as a whole, was that you couldn't compete for longer than a day at a time.

 

[Simster]

It's easy to look at the scoreline of 4-0, and the individual match results, and say England were thrashed. But there was some truth in what Root was saying: England did compete during phases of every single test. Where you lost each match, and the series as a whole, was that you couldn't compete for longer than a day at a time.

Being the best team for one day every five is NOT competing, especially when you consider that we dominated a full day in 2 days over the course of the series - we probably shaded another day. By contrast, Australia completely dominated 12 days and shaded another 6 or 7.

 

[Perry Milkins]

That's way over the top. Your boys had at least one day in each match where you were making the Aussies work really hard.

Brisbane - at various points on day 1 you were making us sweat. What you lost was some key moments, such as Vince not going on to get the 100. But still, end of a rain affected day at 196/4 you'd be happy with. Eventual total of 302 was disappointing, but then having the Aussie 4 down for cheap at the end of day 2 you'd say you're ahead at that point. You then got outclassed on Day 3 and 4.

Adelaide - first innings, had us in trouble at 4 down for 160ish, and then let us off the hook with runs from Paine and Cummins propping up our total. We bowl you out cheap, and then Smith makes a clanger decision and opens the door and your boys took the opportunity really well. Not just under the perfect evenings conditions; you finished the job the next morning as well. 354 still a steep chase, but you had the time to do it and this was one of the innings where Root had got himself well and truly in and then bottled it.

Perth - Your first innings 400+, Malan and Bairstow with centuries, but the tail failed to contribute and the bowlers had nothing. Still, day 1 was yours with 305 for just 4 down at close of play.

Melbourne - Your best of the series, and forced us to shut up shop to ensure the draw.

SCG - Most one-sided game of the series in the end, but it's a very different game if day 1 ends at 3 down instead of 5 down. Without those two late wickets on day 1, that's England's day.


It's easy to look at the scoreline of 4-0, and the individual match results, and say England were thrashed. But there was some truth in what Root was saying: England did compete during phases of every single test. Where you lost each match, and the series as a whole, was that you couldn't compete for longer than a day at a time.

Mate - I have enjoyed reading your well scripted and balanced posts.

So, here is the thing, you are wrong on this one.

We are complete and utter pants. No matter which way you shade the crayon.

There is a solid streak of arrogance in the England set-up spawned by test triumphs over here when the conditions assist us.

 

[Audax]

Being the best team for one day every five is NOT competing, especially when you consider that we dominated a full day in 2 days over the course of the series - we probably shaded another day. By contrast, Australia completely dominated 12 days and shaded another 6 or 7.

You've missed the point (from both me and Root). Root only ever said that they'd been able to compete for portions of the first few matches. That's true, they did. He also said that if they could compete for longer periods they could still beat us. There's truth in that, too ... they competed for longer in Melbourne and put us under pressure as a result.

You'll get no argument from me that when they stopped competing, they folded far too easily and that in doing so they handed us 4 very easy wins. They didn't compete anywhere near long enough to sustain a challenge across an entire test, let alone the series. But they did show a competitive spirit and ability that the previous touring Ashes team completely failed to.

You've got positives to take out of the series. Try not to wallow in the disappointment of the headline result.