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Having bagged an unassailable 3-0 lead, Australia will host England in the fourth Test of the Ashes at Sydney Cricket Ground from January 5.
The much anticipated Ashes 2021-22 turned out to be a one-sided affair with little to no fight from England. Australia have continued their dominance over their arch-rivals at home and have already secured the Urn with an unassailable lead of 3-0.
The series began with the hosts claiming a nine-wicket victory over England at the Gabba. In the second one in the Adelaide Oval day-night Test, Australia defeated the visitors by 275 runs despite missing two of their star pacers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.
With the series on the line, the Boxing Day Test at the MCG proved to be a total implosion for Joe Root’s men. Batting first, they were bowled out for just 185. The bowling unit did well this time around to restrict Australia to 267, but another disastrous batting performance meant that England lost the Test by an innings and 14 runs.
They were skittled over for just 68 in their second innings as the Test ended in a little over two days. The hometown hero Scott Boland was the star for the hosts, claiming extraordinary figures of six for seven.
The Aussies will be eyeing towards a whitewash, while England will be desperate to put up a fight on an otherwise shambolic tour.
Key players
Pat Cummins is the no. 1 ranked bowler in Test cricket and has been immense for Australia. With a combination of fitness, speed, movement and accuracy, Cummins is almost like a cheat code. He has 174 wickets to his name from just 36 Tests at an incredible average of 21.18. The 28yr old has taken six five-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket haul in his Test career so far.
Cummins has been magnificent in this Ashes, picking 10 scalps from two games at 14.4 apiece. He went wicketless in the last innings at the MCG despite bowling one of the most ruthless spells.
Marnus Labuschagne has seen an astonishing rise to the top of Test cricket, becoming no. 1 ranked batter. Marnus has a solid technique, and his hunger for runs makes him a great asset. The Aussie no. 3 has been sensational in the format, scoring 2114 runs from 21 matches at an average of 60.40. He has six hundreds and 12 fifties to his name already.
He has proven to be a thorn in England’s path this series, scoring 74, 104 and 51 in three of the four innings. Labuschagne will remain a key player for the home side in the fourth Test as well.
Joe Root arguably had the greatest year in the history of Test cricket. Amidst all the incompetence from the rest of the batting unit, the England captain amassed 1708 runs in 2021 across 15 matches at a terrific average of 61, including six hundreds and four fifties.
Root’s overall career record speaks for itself, having scored 9531 runs at nearly 50. He’s the top run-getter in the ongoing series despite the chaos and has scored three fifties in three games. He’d be hoping his long wait of a century in Australia comes to an end if England are to compete in the Sydney Test.
David Warner is an integral part of Australia’s Test team, especially at home. The destructive opener has the ability to change the course of the match in a matter of time. He has over 7500 runs to his name from 89 matches at an average of 48.40.
The left-hander has smashed 24 centuries and 32 half-centuries in the format. On home soil, Warner averages an extraordinary 63. He has been superb for the hosts so far, scoring 94, 95, 13 and 38 in four innings and will remain an important player in the fourth Test.
Prediction
January 3 marks 11 years since England last won a Test match against Australia down under. Such is their lack of quality that can compete on these pitches.
England’s batting is in absolute shambles, with no one apart from Joe Root and Dawid Malan scoring any runs. Ben Stokes hasn’t been at his best, and that has hurt the team as well, while openers remain a massive headache for the visitors. The bowling unit has seen rotation, but it hasn’t helped much, and it could only get worse on a flatter deck of the SCG.
Australia have a formidable batting unit with David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith firing. In-form Travis Head was tested Covid-19 positive and could be replaced by Usman Khawaja. In the bowling department, Josh Hazlewood is set to make his return after missing two matches. Mitch Starc could be rested for this one, but Australia’s bowling remains a potent threat. Expect them to run over England at the SCG to take a 4-0 lead.
