Australia won cricket’s oldest Test series with a decisive eight-wicket victory at the Gabba.
Australia registered an emphatic eight-wicket victory over England in the second day-night Ashes Test in Brisbane on Sunday, taking an eerie 2-0 lead in the series.
The hosts chased down a paltry target of 65 in just 10 overs, with captain Steve Smith pulling Gus Atkinson to a wide six over square leg to seal the victory.
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Although not as humiliating as the two-day defeat in the first Test in Perth, England won comprehensively in all departments in Brisbane.
Apart from first-innings Joe Root and Zak Crawley and second-time captains Ben Stokes and Will Jacks, their batting was as reckless as Perth’s.
They conceded wickets with poor strokes on the bouncy Gabba surface.
They also bowled poorly, wasting the new pink ball by bowling too short to the Gabba wicket, in stark contrast to Australia’s attack, which lacked spearheads Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.
To make matters worse, England dropped five catches in the first innings, while Australia’s fielders caught them all.
Josh Inglis smashed Stokes in the first innings and changed the course of the match.
Australia currently lead 2-0 in the five-match Test series and are the overwhelming favorites to survive the Ashes, which will be followed by games in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.
The home team conceded 511 points to Australia’s tails on Saturday, giving England a lead in the match and an overall lead of 177 points.
They then lost six wickets in their second innings under lights and finished the third day at 134-6, still 43 runs off Australia’s total.
Most expected England to capitulate meekly on Sunday, but Stokes and all-rounder Jacks led the rearguard and secured Australia’s second bat.
On a hot day, Stokes and Jacks defied Australia’s pace attack and managed to break through their initial deficit target, setting Australia up to chase.
resistance flicker
England batting coach Marcus Trescothick said on Saturday that batsmen would not change their attacking approach despite poor shots rattling wickets.
But Stokes and Jacks did exactly the opposite in Sunday’s first session.
They seemed content to leave balls they didn’t need to play and take runs with singles rather than wide boundary shots.
They scored just 28 points in the first hour, overtook a 43-point deficit 96 minutes into the session, and scored just 59 points in two hours.
Australia’s bowlers, who ran wild with the pink ball under the lights on Saturday, were far more helpless on Sunday, even though the wicket started doing some tricks.
England only had one chance when Scott Boland faced Stokes. Stokes crossed the cordon and took a thick advantage.
The second session continued to frustrate the Australians until just before the drinks break, when Jacks got the upper hand on Michael Nether, and Smith made a breathtaking catch at slip, diving full length to the left and catching low to the ground.
Nether scored again in the next over as Stokes nibbled the ball outside the off-stump and keeper Alex Carey slotted home a brilliant goal to leave England with a lead of just 50 points at 227-8.
Gus Atkinson, Brydon Kearse and Jofra Archer offered no particular resistance, with Nessel posting career-best numbers of 5-42 and Smith tying Rahul Dravid with 210 outfield catches, three spots short of the current record-holder Root.
65 games was never enough and Australia lost Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne in the chase, but Smith and Jake Weatherald led the home side to an easy win.
The third Test begins on December 17 at Adelaide Oval, with England needing a win to have a chance of reclaiming the Ashes. The fourth Test begins on Boxing Day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with Sydney hosting the fifth Test from January 4.
