England has crushed the Australians in MCG by an innings and a huge 157 runs to retain the Ashes after the long gap of 24 years. Australia has lost all the three wickets in one and half hours with out much fight in the morning of the fourth day. When Ben Hilfenhaus edged Tim Bresnan to prior, it was the fourth wicket for Bresnan and celebration time for England.
Just four days before English players would have enjoyed the Christmas night. Now they can have identical celebration waiting for them as Tim Bresnan wrecked though Australian batsmen that sets England to be in the sight of victory. Now only four wickets are standing between them and Ashes.
In Boxing Day, Australians were clearly not up to the mark, they are not at all boxing their way to win in this test match. This strong English team has dominated the host in three sessions and in the path of smelling their victor by that retaining the Ashes. English bowlers bowled Australia for meager 98 runs and they have even scored 157 runs with out losing a wicket. With giving away lead of 59 runs for England with 10 batsmen waiting in the wings, Australia should do some magic to avoid their third Ashes defeat and this time at home.
In the Ashes series so far Alastair Cook has shown in consistency and from Australian side, it was Michael Hussey is coming well in all his outings but one man, who shown his class in both Brisbane and Perth is Ian Bell. He has hit two well timed and composed half-centuries, when England needed it badly. If the wickets not had been tumbled at the other ends, he could have converted those fifties in to centuries.
Ryan Harris has shown most wanted urgency on the fourth day by running through the English batsmen. He took his career best 6 for 47 as Australia trounced England by 267 runs in the WACA stadium in Perth. The English team was all out in just 10 overs on the fourth day and series leveled. Now the series is wide open and the fight is on as cracker of the Ashes is on.
Mitchell took 6 wickets for 38 runs and rejuvenated his career. He revived the Australia’s Ashes fortune by this brutal performance as England was tainted for meager 187 runs. But Australians were unable to take control of the situation since the inconsistencies in the top order still posed the concern. Chris Tremlett and Steve Finn have given all sorts of trouble but Shane Watson stood strong by solidly scoring 61. End of the day the lead was 200.
Australia’s bad form again made them to all out for paltry total of 268 in Perth against the quality bowling of England. English bowlers were right on target even after Australians fought back after top-order collapse. Chris Tremlett in his come back match took three wickets and James Anderson was suffering from travelling related problems namely Jet-Jag but that has not stopped him to scalp three wickets. Australians were at one point struggling 4 for 36 when Mitchell Johnson who got one more chance to perform has performed with the bat by top-scoring scoring 62.
Despite losing a match heavily against England in the second test in Adelaide Oval, Australian skipper Ricky Ponting believes that though Australians were down, their Aussie attitude is very much intact and undeterred.
Graeme Swann has taken five wickets in Adelaide Oval in the second innings and that ha enabled England to defeat Australia to go up 1-0. Lower order batsmen or threatening rain down-pouring failed to save the match for Australia and they are heading to Perth with low in morale.
English showman Kevin Pietersen has given his country every bit of chance to defeat Australians in Adelaide Oval. But English bowlers could have bowled little better to compliment Pietersen’s double hundred. Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke have given Australia a short reprieve to flee with the draw to head Perth without a defeat. But Pietersen who batted well has even contributed with the bowling by taking the prized scalp of Clarke in the last ball of the day which has reinstated the hopes on England to win.
