Bazball braggadocio hurts England again as visitors on top
“Teams that drop catches lose matches,” we’re told, but in a searing Ashes series, Australia may erase cricket’s age-old truism.
After one day’s play at the Oval, the final result in the Fifth Test remains open, and a menacing English bowling attack could strike early on day two.
Nevertheless, the visitors are in a stronger position.
At the close of play, Australia had yet again lost beleaguered opener David Warner, but had bowled England out for a modest 283, and was 1/61 at stumps.
The scorecard favours Australia, but a final test win for the visitors assumes batters like Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh can further dent English cockiness.
The hosts’ Bazball brashness flows from England triumphing at the Third Test at Headingley and Australia limping to a weather-affected draw in the fourth test at Old Trafford.
Overall, Australia is ahead 2-1 in the five-test series, and has already retained the Ashes, irrespective of the final result in the Fifth Test.
The last outing on this extraordinary Ashes tour began with Australian captain Pat Cummins under siege. Dashing former Australian test batter Mark Waugh effectively called for his removal as captain in a pre-match preview on Fox Sport after Cummins’ indifferent performance at Old Trafford.
At the same time, rabble-rousing British tabloid journalist Piers Morgan vomited another batch of anti-Australian contumely, describing Cummins’ team as “cheating convicts” who should have already lost the Ashes series.
“We should have won (the Second Test) at Lord’s, we should have won every Test, let’s be honest. We’re a better team, I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. We were dudded by the rain, and I think at the Oval we’re
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