Staff Reporter.
@ETA.
England’s batting capitulated again as Australia’s dominance of the Ashes series continued on day one of the crucial third Test in Melbourne.
Trailing 2-0 and needing to win to keep their Ashes hopes alive, England were dismissed for a pitiful 185 after being put into bat in the iconic Boxing Day Test.
The tourists were 19-2 after another top-order failure – Haseeb Hameed out for a 10-ball duck and fellow opener Zak Crawley, one of four England changes from defeat in Adelaide, making just 12 on his return.
Captain Joe Root reached 50 before he was caught behind playing a careless waft off the bowling of Mitchell Starc.
That was the first of three dire dismissals in the afternoon session with Ben Stokes cutting Cameron Green to point for 25 and Jos Buttler holing out off Nathan Lyon for three on the stroke of tea.
Only 35 from the recalled Jonny Bairstow and 22 from Ollie Robinson, who was last man out after some slogging, prevented an even more humiliating score.
To further compound England’s problems, David Warner thrashed an energetic 38 from 42 balls before the opener was caught in the gully off James Anderson with just 10 minutes left to play.
Australia, on one of the biggest days in the nation’s sporting calendar, closed on 61-1, trailing by 124.
The hosts will seal a series victory with two Tests to spare by winning in Melbourne and are guaranteed to retain the urn if they draw.
In a must-win game, England have shown little evidence they will turn around a series in which they have been outclassed during almost every day’s play.
Former Australia bowler Glenn McGrath: “It’s not a 185 all out pitch. There is a bit in it but no real demons. It could’ve easily been a pitch you’d bat first on.”
Former England bowler Steven Finn on Test Match Special: “It was disappointing. After all the noise we heard over how different things were going to be here, there was just an air of similarity to it.
“They seemed slightly muddled, and not entirely sure where to sit between being aggressive and trying to impose yourself on the game, but also having resolute defence at the same time.”
Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc, speaking to BT Sport: “It was a bit tacky under foot so I thought we bowled well and a fraction fuller than England did in that final session. Collectively, I think 185 was a pretty good day for us.”