The good, the bad and the ugly of England's painful Ashes tour

After England lost the Ashes 4-0, we take a look at the good, bad and ugly of a tough series for Joe Root's team.

Published : Jan 09, 2018 00:20 IST

England's players show their disappointment after losing in Sydne.
England's players show their disappointment after losing in Sydne.
lightbox-info

England's players show their disappointment after losing in Sydne.

A miserable Ashes series for England ended on a particularly low note as Joe Root's side was trounced by an innings and 123 runs in Sydney, with the captain struck down by viral gastroenteritis.

Omnisport takes a look at the positives and negatives arising from a challenging trip for the tourist, and looks at where England goes from here.

READ: Australia completes dominant 4-0 Ashes series rout of England

THE GOOD

- No England player did more to enhance his reputation than Dawid Malan , whose fabulous 140 in Perth represented a breakthrough innings at Test level. Malan, whose initial selection for the tour appeared to owe much to a lack of alternative options, also made three fifties and finished the series with 383 runs at a creditable average of 43.

- Aged 35, James Anderson was the pick of England's bowling unit by a country mile. If a return of 17 wickets at 28 was not impressive enough, Anderson demonstrated remarkable stamina and continued to pose a threat in sweltering heat at the SCG, even as his tally of overs for the series moved beyond 220.

- An element of straw-clutching with this one, but England at least took every Test to a fifth day , in contrast to the 2013-14 series when it was regularly beaten well inside the distance - including a shambolic three-day loss in Sydney.

READ: Smith wins Compton-Miller medal

THE BAD

- With Ben Stokes absent following his arrest in Bristol prior to the tour, fellow all-rounder Moeen Ali endured a woeful time of things. A finger injury hampered his initial efforts with the ball and the off-spinner's confidence levels seemed to sink thereafter as he was comprehensively out-bowled by Nathan Lyon. Moeen was barely more effective with the bat and his personal nadir came in Melbourne, when a bizarrely frenetic innings of 20 came between two wicket-less outings in which part-time leg-spinner Malan seemed a more accomplished bowler.

- Alastair Cook actually ended the series with a higher average (47) than Malan and any other touring batsman bar Root. Yet the veteran opener was understandably rueful as he reflected on the fact his unbeaten 244 at Melbourne came with the series already beyond England. Prior to his MCG masterclass, Cook's return of 83 runs from six innings was nowhere near enough. England's record run-scorer can at least look to the future with optimism after ending his barren run.

READ: Anderson's assessment of England's Ashes performance

- Arguably the most frustrating aspect of England's tour was its inability to capitalise on encouraging positions . At the Gabba, England was fiercely competitive - and, at times, seemingly ahead of the game - for three days. It then threatened to pull off a superb recovery in Adelaide, while the WACA's final Test saw the tourist reach 368-4 in its first innings. However, in each match, Australia ran out comfortable winner, clinically exposing its opponent's lack of ruthlessness.

- Anderson's efforts may have been admirable, but there can be no doubt England suffered from a distinct lack of pace in its attack . What it would do for a Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood or Pat Cummins ...

THE UGLY

- The luckless Root was apparently asleep as the post-match presentations took place, his final innings of the tour interrupted and ultimately cut short by the illness that saw England's captain hospitalised on Monday.

- If the controversy surrounding Stokes was not a big enough issue for England to have to deal with, head-coach Trevor Bayliss was left utterly unimpressed as a result of further disciplinary problems once the tour began. Australia's media gleefully made the most of apparently minor incidents involving Jonny Bairstow and Ben Duckett, leaving Bayliss with an unwanted headache.

WHAT NEXT?

England appears unlikely to make too many changes for its next Tests in New Zealand, mainly as there are not exactly a host of names banging on the door for selection.

It would be no surprise to see at least one of James Vince or Mark Stoneman dropped, however, while the selectors may also opt to give Moeen a break after he struggled so badly in Australia, particularly if Stokes becomes available again.

Conditions in New Zealand are at least likely to provide more encouragment for England's bowlers, who can then look forward to a return to home soil later in the year and the opportunity to gain greater swing and seam movement.

Yet finding a solution to its struggles in batsman-friendly conditions appears a tricky task, particularly with Anderson in the final years of his career. England will be desperate to ensure it returns to Australia in four years with greater depth in its pace stocks. 

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment