England’s “hollow” Ashes victory in Melbourne brought about feelings of “huge frustration” as it showed just how different the series could have been had had they focused from the start.
Those are the views of Sky Sports’ Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton after England rebounded from heavy, and largely self-inflicted, defeats in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide to win a two-day Test at the MCG and dash their hosts’ hopes of a 5-0 sweep.
The tourists’ lack of preparation before the first Test – they played one intra-team match against the England Lions – was panned before a ball was bowled in the series and head coach Brendon McCullum said last week that was probably a mistake.
England were also guilty of numerous batting collapses, with driving on the up a root cause of many of their problems, as the Ashes slipped away in just 11 days of cricket.
A first Test win in Australia in 15 years – and first after 12 years of trying for captain Ben Stokes and predecessor Joe Root – was a result to savour in Melbourne but only added to the irritation of what had gone on before.
Atherton said: “I am delighted for Stokes, Root and the supporters but it is a hollow victory because of what might have been.
“It is almost like England are competitive now after playing some cricket, which is ridiculous.
England fans celebrate a long-awaited Ashes victory in Melbourne
“Australia have missed Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon for all or part of the series and have a batting line-up with flaws, so that is the frustration for England. A huge frustration.”
Hussain added: “If England play well in Sydney [in the final Test], as they did in Melbourne and at the end of Adelaide, then that frustrates me more.
“Imagine if they had prepared properly and done the basics in Perth, we could have been going to Sydney 2-2. If anything it shows they didn’t focus in before a ball was bowled.”
I was very pleased for Stokes. It was a difficult build-up for him, not only because the team were 3-0 down but also because of the off-field stories, and I was very impressed with how he dealt with it. He basically wrapped his arms around the team and said ,‘I give them my full backing no matter what’. There are always things to play for even when you have lost a series and his team showed that they were committed to playing for him.
Sky Sports Cricket’s Michael Atherton
Hussain: Bethell has got something about him
England’s top-scorer in their second innings, as they knocked off a target of 175, was Jacob Bethell as the young left-hander hit 40 from 46 balls in his second Ashes knock.
The Warwickshire player had been dismissed for one a day earlier after replacing the dropped Ollie Pope in the side.
Hussain praised Bethell, who had notched three fifties in as many Tests for England in New Zealand last winter before barely playing any red-ball cricket across the home summer.
Jacob Bethell helped England seal victory at the MCG
The former England captain told the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast: “I know there was the reverse scoop straight after tea but when you see Bethell play cover drives, he gets in some really good positions.
“If he can keep playing, keep batting, then I think he has got something about him.”
Atherton added: “On the one hand it is credit to the selectors who plucked him out for New Zealand a year ago but to their discredit how he has been treated since.
“You can’t mothball a 21-year-old kid and then expect him to come out in front of 90,000 at the MCG and do the business.”
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