As so often has been the case across the last 15 years in an Australia-hosted Ashes Series, England have been the architects of their own downfall in the Land Down Under. After yet another collapse, the tourists now find themselves 2-0 down in the five-test series, and they stand on the brink of yet another embarrassment on Australian soil.
In the first test in Perth, England were in complete control, leading by 105 runs with nine wickets in hand in their second innings. They proceeded to lose their remaining nine wickets for just 99 runs, paving the way for a Travis Head masterclass to secure a comfortable Australian victory. In the second test in Brisbane, Joe Root's maiden century on Aussie soil gave England a foothold. Then, a short length bowling tactic saw the hosts blast 511 runs, with tailender Mitchell Starc hitting 77 of them, leading the Baggy Greens to another easy victory.
Now, the third test in Melbourne looms, and an Australian victory would result in them retaining the Ashes with an insurmountable 3-0 series lead. Online betting sites can't see a way back for the English, making them the rank outsiders to mastermind a comeback. One can bet on sports at Bovada, and the American bookmaker makes England a whopping 18/1 underdog, while the hosts are listed as short as 1/25. But while they aren't big on English chances, we have a few reasons as to why the Barmy Army shouldn't give up hope just yet.
Joe Root's Maiden Century in Australia
Joe Root is, without question, England's finest ever batsman. His 13,704 test match runs are second all-time behind Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar, and that record will surely belong to the Yorkshireman by the time his glittering career comes to an end. However, if there was one asterisk next to his spectacular run, it was his performances in Australia.
Before the second test at Brisbane, Root had played 29 innings in the Land Down Under and hadn't managed a single century. While he did hit 89 in 2021, you had to go all the way back to 2013 for his next best score, and in the opening test in Perth, it looked like more of the same. England's talisman was gone for a duck in the first innings, while he could only manage eight in the second. But at the Gabba, his moment finally came.
With all crumbling around him, Root was up to the fight. He elegantly crafted a knock of 135 not out, helping England to a score of 335 and giving them a fighting chance to claim a shock victory. While that ultimately wouldn't come to fruition, the monkey is now off of Root's back ahead of the final three test matches. With the pressure off, he is now free to take the fight to the Aussies, and for England's sake, he now has to do exactly that.
Jofra Archer Comes Out Fighting
England's bowling attack endured a miserable time of it in Brisbane. Jofra Archer, England's fast-bowling menace, freshly back from injury woes that have kept him out of the team for years, looked like a force to be reckoned with in the opener in Perth. At the Gabba, however, he was unable to make an impression, with England's short bowling tactics easy for the Aussies to fend off and ultimately rack up a huge score.
However, in the second innings, with the game seemingly over, Archer took the fight to Australian talisman Steve Smith. The Barbados-born star started cranking up the pace in the hosts' second innings, regularly bowling at speeds in excess of 150 kmph. That caught the ire of the superstar Smith, with the Aussie batsman caught on the stump-mic saying, “You only bowl fast when there's nothing going on, champion.”
While that may have seemed like a 'gotcha' moment for Smith and an embarrassment for Archer, a "10-8 round" in boxing terms, if you will, England supporters should still be happy at seeing some fight from their fastest bowler, even if it came far too late in the game. Even when the game was pretty much over, Archer was still up for the fight, dragging his injury-prone frame to deliver incredibly quick balls time and again.
If he can carry that energy into the cauldron that is the MCG, England will certainly be in good standing. Now, let's hope coach Brednan McCullum tells his bowlers to pitch the ball up and aim at the stumps to give Archer and his bowling attack a chance of claiming 20 wickets.
Ben Stokes' Fighting Talk
Much has been made of England's mentality and preparation throughout this Ashes series. Rather than playing warm-up matches and acclimatizing themselves to Aussie pitches, the tourists have instead been enjoying downtime. Not only that, but both the coach and captain, Ben Stokes, said after the defeat in Perth that the approach wouldn't change. Well, the skipper quickly changed his tune in the aftermath of that second straight defeat in Brisbane.
Speaking post-game, Stokes was visibly annoyed at what he and his team had just served up. "Australia is not for weak men. A dressing room that I am captain of is not a place for weak men either. We need to dig deep. I need to dig deep." That was the captain's message post-game, and it certainly is fighting talk. Now, will his teammates heed his words, or will more pain lie in wait at the MCG?
