England are on the brink of a demoralising and embarrassing Ashes series defeat – and there’s a chance they’ll make history for all the wrong reasons on Day 4 of the Adelaide Test.
Following a dominant day from the home side on Friday, Australia are well positioned to keep their dreams of a 5-0 series whitewash alive. They lead by 356 runs with six wickets left in hand in their second innings.
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There’s every possibility that the third Test will be wrapped up by the end of the day and if so, it would mean this year’s Ashes would be won by Australia within ten days of cricket.
According to BBC Sport, if that occurs, it will be the fastest Ashes series defeat in 104 years.
Responding to that grim stat, former newspaper editor turned TV host Piers Morgan labelled his country’s effort as “embarrassing”.
“We’ve been battered into supine embarrassing submission by a much better Australian side. Incredibly disappointing,” Morgan posted on social media site X.
Given the state of play in this Test, it appears England face a near impossible task to turn things around in Australia.
That task becomes considerably harder if there’s an injury or fatigue concern with captain Ben Stokes.
In a worrying sign for the visitors, Stokes didn’t bowl a single ball yesterday.
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You could hardly blame the skipper for keeping himself out of the attack given his gargantuan efforts across the three Tests, as noted by The Telegraph’s Oliver Brown.
“The suffering of Ben Stokes shone a light on his team’s torment in this Ashes series, with his colossal spirit coming at a price for his creaking body in a forlorn and surely futile quest,” Brown wrote.
“For the best part of three sessions he had jutted his chest out and weathered the searing Adelaide heat to kindle a few embers of hope, only to see them extinguished by a parade of part-time off-spinners going for five an over.
“Self-preservation is the least of the England captain’s priorities, especially when he scents a comeback. But as he withdrew himself from the bowling attack on another torrid day in the field, this born fighter looked as though he had little more to give.
“At 34, Stokes knows this is, in all likelihood, his final tour of Australia. And there is now the awful possibility that he could retire without winning a single Test, never mind a series, Down Under.”
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With the English top order failing time and time again, Stokes kept his side alive with gutsy knocks in Brisbane and Adelaide.
He’s then picked up key wickets with the ball and on top of that, he’s got a field to set and tactics to constantly implement as captain.
Fox Cricket’s Isa Guha says Stokes’ lion-hearted nature means the fact he didn’t bowl on Day 3 is likely due to an injury “niggle” rather than a fatigue issue.
“There is clearly a niggle. There is clearly a reason he is not bowling. He went off the field at one stage and he was having a look at his right groin at one stage on the field. That is not good news,” Guha said.
With another Ashes defeat in Australia all but confirmed, heads will roll at the ECB.
What it means for coach Brendon McCullum and his assistants is unclear but mass changes should be made according to former England quick Darren Gough.
“This was Australia’s weakest team, everybody was saying it, yet we could be down 3-0,” Gough said on talkSPORT.
“The only one who survives for me in management would be Ben Stokes, let’s be serious about it.
“Ben Stokes has proven to be a hero, a top player but you’re only as good as your team and if you’re losing, the captain is the one who takes the blame. I think the captain survives this no matter what because he’s such a good leader.”
The fourth day of the third Test gets underway at 10:30 AEDT.
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