Australia mauled England by an innings and 14 runs in the third Test of the ongoing Ashes 2021 to clinch the five-match series with three back-to-back wins and retain the prestigious urn. Debutant Scott Boland bowled his heart out and picked up a memorable six wicket-haul as he ran through the hapless English batting line-up in their second innings on Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test on Tuesday.

England, who were bundled out for a paltry 185 runs in their first innings of the third Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) suffered yet another terrible batting collapse in their second innings. The visitors were folded for just 68 runs in their second innings as they failed to overhaul Australia's 83-run lead and conceded the game within three days.

England captain Joe Root top-scored for the visitors with 28 runs off 59 balls. He was the lone warrior once again as none of the other batters managed to put on a fight against the Australian pacers, who dominated the proceedings. Boland was the pick of the bowlers for the Aussies as the fast bowler sone on debut.

The defeat is a much-needed reality check for England, who have been left exposed in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 as the Test series has looked fairly one-sided with the hosts dominating the proceedings so far. England captain Root said he was absolutely gutted with the innings defeat and admitted his side were blown away by the Aussies.

"It is what it is. We have come to dealing with this sort of environment for a while now. Credit to Australia, they blew us away last night, and they have outplayed us in this Test match, in fact, the series so far. We have a lot of hard work to do now and come back strong in the last two games. Covid threat wasn't ideal. The way we went about our cricket, especially our bowling was excellent yesterday," said Root post his side's defeat.

England bowlers had done well during Australia's first innings to ensure the hosts didn't manage to get to a big total. Senior pacer James Anderson picked up a four-wicket haul while Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson scalped two wickets apiece to give England a chance to fight back in the game.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-2021-22-australia-thrash-england-by-innings-and-14-runs-in-third-test-to-retain-the-urn-440577">Ashes 2021-22: Australia thrash England by innings and 14 runs in third Test to retain the urn</a>

However, the batters let the visitors down once again with a shambolic show in the second innings. Root admitted England have a lot of work to do in order to turn around their fortunes in the Ashes 2021-22. The England skipper said his side will look to wrap up the series with a couple of wins in their remaining matches.

"Credit to the boys for managing it and giving ourselves a chance in this game. We just have got to do things for longer. There have been pockets, but that's just not enough. We know where we need to work and we have to stay very strong and make sure we look at the next two games as a real opportunity to take something away from this tour," said Root.

&nbsp;

Australia mauled England by an innings and 14 runs in the third Test of the ongoing Ashes 2021 to clinch the five-match series with three back-to-back wins and retain the prestigious urn.

Australia mauled England by an innings and 14 runs in the third Test of the ongoing Ashes 2021 to clinch the five-match series with three back-to-back wins and retain the prestigious urn. Debutant Scott Boland bowled his heart out and picked up a memorable six wicket-haul as he ran through the hapless English batting line-up in their second innings on Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test on Tuesday. England, who were bundled out for a paltry 185 runs in their first innings of the third Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) suffered yet another terrible batting collapse in their second innings. The visitors were folded for just 68 runs in their second innings as they failed to overhaul Australia's 83-run lead and conceded the game within three days. England captain Joe Root top-scored for the visitors with 28 runs off 59 balls. He was the lone warrior once again as none of the other batters managed to put on a fight against the Australian pacers, who dominated the proceedings. Boland was the pick of the bowlers for the Aussies as the fast bowler sone on debut. The defeat is a much-needed reality check for England, who have been left exposed in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 as the Test series has looked fairly one-sided with the hosts dominating the proceedings so far. England captain Root said he was absolutely gutted with the innings defeat and admitted his side were blown away by the Aussies. "It is what it is. We have come to dealing with this sort of environment for a while now. Credit to Australia, they blew us away last night, and they have outplayed us in this Test match, in fact, the series so far. We have a lot of hard work to do now and come back strong in the last two games. Covid threat wasn't ideal. The way we went about our cricket, especially our bowling was excellent yesterday," said Root post his side's defeat. England bowlers had done well during Australia's first innings to ensure the hosts didn't manage to get to a big total. Senior pacer James Anderson picked up a four-wicket haul while Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson scalped two wickets apiece to give England a chance to fight back in the game. Also Read: Ashes 2021-22: Australia thrash England by innings and 14 runs in third Test to retain the urn However, the batters let the visitors down once again with a shambolic show in the second innings. Root admitted England have a lot of work to do in order to turn around their fortunes in the Ashes 2021-22. The England skipper said his side will look to wrap up the series with a couple of wins in their remaining matches. "Credit to the boys for managing it and giving ourselves a chance in this game. We just have got to do things for longer. There have been pockets, but that's just not enough. We know where we need to work and we have to stay very strong and make sure we look at the next two games as a real opportunity to take something away from this tour," said Root.

'Australia blew us away': Joe Root absolutely gutted as Aussies dismantle England in 3rd Ashes Test

Australia retained the Ashes with a thumping innings and 14-run win in the third test in Melbourne on Tuesday, with debutant paceman Scott Boland laying waste to England`s hapless batsmen with a devastating six-wicket haul.

Boland, only the second Indigenous Australian to play a men`s test match, came off the Melbourne Cricket Ground turf with a prize stump and astonishing innings figures of 6-7 as England capitulated for 68 before lunch on day three, their 13th lowest total in tests.

"I thought we had a pretty good chance of winning but I had no idea we would do it before lunch," said 32-year-old Boland, who won the Johnny Mullagh medal as player of the match.

"Obviously I thought (debuting) was going to be really tough, a big step up from anything else I`d played before. I was hoping to make a bit of an impact."

Australia sealed the series 3-0 in front of a festive `Boxing Day` test crowd of 42,000, leaving England playing for pride in the final two tests in Sydney and Brisbane.

With Australia having won by 275 runs in Adelaide and nine wickets in the Brisbane opener, home captain Pat Cummins was left pinching himself as Boland and Mitchell Starc (3-29) wrapped up the series within 90 minutes on a glorious morning in Melbourne.

"Just an awesome few weeks, so proud of the group here and just everything`s clicked," said Cummins, who has led his side with aplomb as a late replacement for Tim Paine.

"So happy for Scottie in front of his home crowd today, just an amazing feeling."

England captain Joe Root was left devastated. He has now lost seven of eight tests as captain in Australia after failing to wrest back the urn on home soil in 2019.

His top score of 28 in England`s second innings spoke volumes of the team`s batting inadequacies, and he was in no mood to discuss the future of his captaincy.

"I think they`ve definitely outplayed us in the three games," Root said.

"We`ve not been good enough.

"For what is quite a young batting group, they`re having to learn here in the harshest environment.

"We have to try and make sure we come away from this tour with a couple of wins."&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/whole-england-set-up-is-under-pressure-vaughan-slams-root-co-after-dismal-show-in-3rd-ashes-test-440128">'Whole England set-up is under pressure': Vaughan slams Root &amp; Co. after dismal show in 3rd Ashes Test</a>

Skittled for 185 in the first innings, England had resumed on 31 for four in their second on Tuesday, needing another 51 runs to make Australia bat again. Their faint hopes were pinned on Root and Ben Stokes building a partnership after another calamitous collapse late on day two.

But it all went up in smoke as Starc bowled Stokes for 11 and Boland fired up for a fairytale four-over spell. 
The Victoria paceman had Jonny Bairstow lbw for five, Root edge to the slips and removed Mark Wood for a caught-and-bowled duck, sending his home MCG crowd into delirium.

Two balls after Wood`s wicket, Boland had his sixth victim when Ollie Robinson also went for a duck by hitting straight to Marnus Labuschagne.

All-rounder Cameron Green sealed England`s humiliation by bowling James Anderson for two before the stroke of midday, leaving ticket-holders short-changed, if mostly thrilled.

Australia have claimed both the Ashes and the T20 World Cup title in a golden six weeks, bouncing back from the 2-1 test series defeat to an under-strength India over the last home summer.

They will head into the final matches of the series hopeful of sweeping the Ashes for the first time since 2013/14. 
"We probably haven`t strung (together) the performances over the last couple of years that we expected of ourselves," said Cummins.

"So I think this really consolidates that we are a really good, strong test cricket side.

"I think it`s a good sign for the next few years."

Australia retained the Ashes with a thumping innings and 14-run win in the third test in Melbourne on Tuesday, with debutant paceman Scott Boland laying waste to England`s hapless batsmen with a devastating six-wicket haul.

Australia retained the Ashes with a thumping innings and 14-run win in the third test in Melbourne on Tuesday, with debutant paceman Scott Boland laying waste to England`s hapless batsmen with a devastating six-wicket haul. Boland, only the second Indigenous Australian to play a men`s test match, came off the Melbourne Cricket Ground turf with a prize stump and astonishing innings figures of 6-7 as England capitulated for 68 before lunch on day three, their 13th lowest total in tests. "I thought we had a pretty good chance of winning but I had no idea we would do it before lunch," said 32-year-old Boland, who won the Johnny Mullagh medal as player of the match. "Obviously I thought (debuting) was going to be really tough, a big step up from anything else I`d played before. I was hoping to make a bit of an impact." Australia sealed the series 3-0 in front of a festive `Boxing Day` test crowd of 42,000, leaving England playing for pride in the final two tests in Sydney and Brisbane. With Australia having won by 275 runs in Adelaide and nine wickets in the Brisbane opener, home captain Pat Cummins was left pinching himself as Boland and Mitchell Starc (3-29) wrapped up the series within 90 minutes on a glorious morning in Melbourne. "Just an awesome few weeks, so proud of the group here and just everything`s clicked," said Cummins, who has led his side with aplomb as a late replacement for Tim Paine. "So happy for Scottie in front of his home crowd today, just an amazing feeling." England captain Joe Root was left devastated. He has now lost seven of eight tests as captain in Australia after failing to wrest back the urn on home soil in 2019. His top score of 28 in England`s second innings spoke volumes of the team`s batting inadequacies, and he was in no mood to discuss the future of his captaincy. "I think they`ve definitely outplayed us in the three games," Root said. "We`ve not been good enough. "For what is quite a young batting group, they`re having to learn here in the harshest environment. "We have to try and make sure we come away from this tour with a couple of wins." Also Read: 'Whole England set-up is under pressure': Vaughan slams Root & Co. after dismal show in 3rd Ashes Test Skittled for 185 in the first innings, England had resumed on 31 for four in their second on Tuesday, needing another 51 runs to make Australia bat again. Their faint hopes were pinned on Root and Ben Stokes building a partnership after another calamitous collapse late on day two. But it all went up in smoke as Starc bowled Stokes for 11 and Boland fired up for a fairytale four-over spell. The Victoria paceman had Jonny Bairstow lbw for five, Root edge to the slips and removed Mark Wood for a caught-and-bowled duck, sending his home MCG crowd into delirium. Two balls after Wood`s wicket, Boland had his sixth victim when Ollie Robinson also went for a duck by hitting straight to Marnus Labuschagne. All-rounder Cameron Green sealed England`s humiliation by bowling James Anderson for two before the stroke of midday, leaving ticket-holders short-changed, if mostly thrilled. Australia have claimed both the Ashes and the T20 World Cup title in a golden six weeks, bouncing back from the 2-1 test series defeat to an under-strength India over the last home summer. They will head into the final matches of the series hopeful of sweeping the Ashes for the first time since 2013/14. "We probably haven`t strung (together) the performances over the last couple of years that we expected of ourselves," said Cummins. "So I think this really consolidates that we are a really good, strong test cricket side. "I think it`s a good sign for the next few years."

Ashes 2021-22: Australia thrash England by innings and 14 runs in third Test to retain the urn

Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has slammed Joe Root-led England after the visitors succumbed to an innings defeat in the third Ashes Test on Tuesday (December 28). Having lost the first two Tests by a convincing margin, Root &amp; Co. surrendered meekly in the third encounter as well to have conceded the urn to Pat Cummins-led Australia without posing any threat.

Talking about the Boxing Day Test, Australia opted to bowl first and bundled out England for 185 in the first innings. In reply, Australia managed a moderate 267 as they 82-run lead proved to be more than enough with the visitors folding for 68 in their second essay. While only Captain Root managed a fifty in the first innings, more humiliation followed for England as only two batters crossed the double-figure mark in their second outing with the bat.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/updated-icc-world-test-championship-points-table-after-australia-beat-england-in-3rd-ashes-test-440633">Updated ICC World Test Championship points table after Australia beat England in 3rd Ashes Test</a>

Hence, Ponting has come hard at Root-led England following their no-show in the third Test. "They've out-thought themselves with their selections for Brisbane, looking forward to Adelaide and then looking forward to the MCG," Ponting told Channel Seven.&nbsp; "Pick your best team from the start and then see how far that group can take you. The fact that Anderson and Broad didn't play in Brisbane is staggering,” he added.

"The fact that Joe Root didn't bowl first in Brisbane was staggering. The fact that Mark Wood didn't play in Adelaide was staggering. He looked like one of the most likely bowlers up in Brisbane," former Oz captain rightly pointed out.

"All their planning, their thoughts and their structures have just been completely wrong, and it's come back to bite them. There's no good looking forward from Brisbane if you're going to be one or two-nil down. And that's what it was: they planned for Melbourne already being two-nil down, they've come here and been pantsed again. So, they've got some really, really deep thinking to do," Ponting concluded.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/vaughan-reacts-after-wasim-jaffer-hilariously-trolls-englishman-amid-joe-root-cos-ashes-horrors-440619">Vaughan reacts after Wasim Jaffer hilariously trolls Englishman amid Joe Root &amp; Co.'s Ashes horrors</a>

After the thrashing received at MCG, Root told the broadcasters, "It is what it is. We have come to dealing with this sort of an environment for a while now. Credit to Australia, they blew us away last night, and they have outplayed us in this Test match, in fact the series so far. We have a lot of hard work to do now and come back strong in the last two games. Covid threat wasn't ideal. The way we went about our cricket, especially our bowling was excellent yesterday. Credit to the boys for managing it and giving ourselves a chance in this game. We just have got to do things for longer. There have been pockets, but that's just not enough. We know where we need to work and we have to stay very strong and make sure we look at the next two games as a real opportunity to take something away from this tour."

The fourth and penultimate Test will now start on January 5 at Sydney Cricket Ground, SCG.

Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has slammed Joe Root-led England after the visitors succumbed to an innings defeat in the third Ashes Test on Tuesday (December 28).

Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has slammed Joe Root-led England after the visitors succumbed to an innings defeat in the third Ashes Test on Tuesday (December 28). Having lost the first two Tests by a convincing margin, Root & Co. surrendered meekly in the third encounter as well to have conceded the urn to Pat Cummins-led Australia without posing any threat. Talking about the Boxing Day Test, Australia opted to bowl first and bundled out England for 185 in the first innings. In reply, Australia managed a moderate 267 as they 82-run lead proved to be more than enough with the visitors folding for 68 in their second essay. While only Captain Root managed a fifty in the first innings, more humiliation followed for England as only two batters crossed the double-figure mark in their second outing with the bat. ALSO READ | Updated ICC World Test Championship points table after Australia beat England in 3rd Ashes Test Hence, Ponting has come hard at Root-led England following their no-show in the third Test. "They've out-thought themselves with their selections for Brisbane, looking forward to Adelaide and then looking forward to the MCG," Ponting told Channel Seven. "Pick your best team from the start and then see how far that group can take you. The fact that Anderson and Broad didn't play in Brisbane is staggering,” he added. "The fact that Joe Root didn't bowl first in Brisbane was staggering. The fact that Mark Wood didn't play in Adelaide was staggering. He looked like one of the most likely bowlers up in Brisbane," former Oz captain rightly pointed out. "All their planning, their thoughts and their structures have just been completely wrong, and it's come back to bite them. There's no good looking forward from Brisbane if you're going to be one or two-nil down. And that's what it was: they planned for Melbourne already being two-nil down, they've come here and been pantsed again. So, they've got some really, really deep thinking to do," Ponting concluded. ALSO READ | Vaughan reacts after Wasim Jaffer hilariously trolls Englishman amid Joe Root & Co.'s Ashes horrors After the thrashing received at MCG, Root told the broadcasters, "It is what it is. We have come to dealing with this sort of an environment for a while now. Credit to Australia, they blew us away last night, and they have outplayed us in this Test match, in fact the series so far. We have a lot of hard work to do now and come back strong in the last two games. Covid threat wasn't ideal. The way we went about our cricket, especially our bowling was excellent yesterday. Credit to the boys for managing it and giving ourselves a chance in this game. We just have got to do things for longer. There have been pockets, but that's just not enough. We know where we need to work and we have to stay very strong and make sure we look at the next two games as a real opportunity to take something away from this tour." The fourth and penultimate Test will now start on January 5 at Sydney Cricket Ground, SCG.

All planning, thoughts and structures have been wrong: Ponting slams England for horror show in Ashes 2021

Joe Root-led England cricket team have conceded the urn to Australia after losing the third Ashes Test, at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), by a whopping margin of an innings and 14 runs on Tuesday (December 28). After losing the first two Tests, by 9 wickets and 275 runs respectively, England slumped further as they were thrashed in the Boxing Day Test to lose the contest in the third day's morning session.

After losing the toss, Root-led England succumbed to 185 all-out in the first essay as Aussie skipper Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon's three-fers dented the visitors' innings. In reply, England rode on James Anderson's 4-fer as Aussies folded for 267, however, the visiting side were all-out for a paltry 68 in the second essay to lose by an innings and 14 runs on Day 3 of the MCG Test.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="wionews.com/sports/wasim-jaffer-brutally-trolls-michael-vaughan-for-92-all-out-india-tweet-as-australia-hammer-england-in-ashes-440589">Wasim Jaffer brutally trolls Michael Vaughan for '92 all out India' tweet as Australia hammer England in Ashes</a>

After the MCG encounter folded inside three days, former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer hilariously trolled England's ex-skipper Michael Vaughan, who had slammed Team India after they had folded for 92 in a Hamilton ODI versus New Zealand in early 2019. To this, Vaughan has also responded to Jaffer's hilarious post after his national side were dismissed in a flash in their second innings of the third Ashes Test. Here's his reply:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Very good Wasim <a href="https://t.co/OemxRrG2IF">https://t.co/OemxRrG2IF</a>
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelVaughan/status/1475701052208922625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australia-blew-us-away-joe-root-absolutely-gutted-as-aussies-dismantle-england-in-3rd-ashes-test-440583">'Australia blew us away': Joe Root absolutely gutted as Aussies dismantle England in 3rd Ashes Test</a>

After the humiliation at the MCG, Root told the broadcasters at the post-match presentation, "It is what it is. We have come to dealing with this sort of an environment for a while now. Credit to Australia, they blew us away last night, and they have outplayed us in this Test match, in fact the series so far. We have a lot of hard work to do now and come back strong in the last two games. Covid threat wasn't ideal. The way we went about our cricket, especially our bowling was excellent yesterday. Credit to the boys for managing it and giving ourselves a chance in this game. We just have got to do things for longer. There have been pockets, but that's just not enough. We know where we need to work and we have to stay very strong and make sure we look at the next two games as a real opportunity to take something away from this tour."

The fourth and penultimate Ashes Test will commence on January 5 at Sydney Cricket Ground, SCG.

Joe Root-led England cricket team have conceded the urn to Australia after losing the third Ashes Test, at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), by a whopping margin of an innings and 14 runs on Tuesday (December 28).

Joe Root-led England cricket team have conceded the urn to Australia after losing the third Ashes Test, at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), by a whopping margin of an innings and 14 runs on Tuesday (December 28). After losing the first two Tests, by 9 wickets and 275 runs respectively, England slumped further as they were thrashed in the Boxing Day Test to lose the contest in the third day's morning session. After losing the toss, Root-led England succumbed to 185 all-out in the first essay as Aussie skipper Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon's three-fers dented the visitors' innings. In reply, England rode on James Anderson's 4-fer as Aussies folded for 267, however, the visiting side were all-out for a paltry 68 in the second essay to lose by an innings and 14 runs on Day 3 of the MCG Test. ALSO READ | Wasim Jaffer brutally trolls Michael Vaughan for '92 all out India' tweet as Australia hammer England in Ashes After the MCG encounter folded inside three days, former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer hilariously trolled England's ex-skipper Michael Vaughan, who had slammed Team India after they had folded for 92 in a Hamilton ODI versus New Zealand in early 2019. To this, Vaughan has also responded to Jaffer's hilarious post after his national side were dismissed in a flash in their second innings of the third Ashes Test. Here's his reply: Very good Wasim https://t.co/OemxRrG2IF — Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) December 28, 2021 × ALSO READ | 'Australia blew us away': Joe Root absolutely gutted as Aussies dismantle England in 3rd Ashes Test After the humiliation at the MCG, Root told the broadcasters at the post-match presentation, "It is what it is. We have come to dealing with this sort of an environment for a while now. Credit to Australia, they blew us away last night, and they have outplayed us in this Test match, in fact the series so far. We have a lot of hard work to do now and come back strong in the last two games. Covid threat wasn't ideal. The way we went about our cricket, especially our bowling was excellent yesterday. Credit to the boys for managing it and giving ourselves a chance in this game. We just have got to do things for longer. There have been pockets, but that's just not enough. We know where we need to work and we have to stay very strong and make sure we look at the next two games as a real opportunity to take something away from this tour." The fourth and penultimate Ashes Test will commence on January 5 at Sydney Cricket Ground, SCG.

Vaughan reacts after Wasim Jaffer hilariously trolls Englishman amid Joe Root & Co.'s Ashes horrors

England have struggled miserably in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 against Australia Down Under. The Joe Root-led side is already 2-0 down in the five-match series and produced yet another dismal show on Day 1 of the ongoing third Test against the hosts at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday. England's batting line-up suffered another terrible collapse as Australia dominated the proceedings on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test.

Root &amp; Co. were bundled out for a paltry 185 runs on Day 1 as none of the batters barring skipper Root (50 off 82 balls) and Jonny Bairstow (35 off 75 balls) managed to show some fight against the Aussie bowlers. Australia captain Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon picked up six wickets between them to rattle England on Day 1 of the Boxing Day encounter.

Reacting to England's poor show on Day 1, Vaughan said not just skipper Root but the entire England set-up is currently under pressure. Vaughan called Root a great guy but insisted he has not been up to the mark as a captain this year and has made several selection blunders in important series.

“They’re under pressure, the whole set-up is under pressure. He is a great guy; Joe Root is a fantastic human being, but he’s made mistakes over the last year. In the summer he made big mistakes in India, getting it wrong in Brisbane with his selection, again in Adelaide with his selection and his tactics,” said Vaughan in a chat with Fox Cricket.

England once again left&nbsp;fast bowler Stuart Broad out of the playing XI for the third Test against Australia in Melbourne. The decision has left Vaughan baffled as the former England captain questioned how can someone as experienced as Broad miss out on a spot in the playing XI despite the pitch being a green top.

“I look at someone like Stuart Broad; in Brisbane, he wasn’t selected on that green top there, he’s not selected here. How England have not seen Stuart Broad, with all his experience, such a wonderful Test career, is not going to be bowling a ball on a green top in Brisbane and now not here in Melbourne, that’s staggering really," said Vaughan.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-2021-22-hapless-england-bundled-out-for-185-as-australia-continue-domination-in-3rd-test-440057">Hapless England bundled out for 185 as Australia continue domination in 3rd Ashes&nbsp;Test</a>

Taking a dig at England over their shambolic performances in the Ashes 2021-22 so far, Vaughan said the only thing they have done right in the series is to turn up on time for every game.

"How Stuart Broad is not going to be bowling around the wicket to David Warner on a green top, I just can’t fathom that with the quality that he brings. So far the only thing they’ve done right on the trip is turn up on time,” Vaughan concluded.

England have struggled miserably in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 against Australia Down Under. The Joe Root-led side is already 2-0 down in the five-match series and produced yet another dismal show on Day 1 of the ongoing third Test against the hosts at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday.

England have struggled miserably in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 against Australia Down Under. The Joe Root-led side is already 2-0 down in the five-match series and produced yet another dismal show on Day 1 of the ongoing third Test against the hosts at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday. England's batting line-up suffered another terrible collapse as Australia dominated the proceedings on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test. Root & Co. were bundled out for a paltry 185 runs on Day 1 as none of the batters barring skipper Root (50 off 82 balls) and Jonny Bairstow (35 off 75 balls) managed to show some fight against the Aussie bowlers. Australia captain Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon picked up six wickets between them to rattle England on Day 1 of the Boxing Day encounter. Reacting to England's poor show on Day 1, Vaughan said not just skipper Root but the entire England set-up is currently under pressure. Vaughan called Root a great guy but insisted he has not been up to the mark as a captain this year and has made several selection blunders in important series. “They’re under pressure, the whole set-up is under pressure. He is a great guy; Joe Root is a fantastic human being, but he’s made mistakes over the last year. In the summer he made big mistakes in India, getting it wrong in Brisbane with his selection, again in Adelaide with his selection and his tactics,” said Vaughan in a chat with Fox Cricket. England once again left fast bowler Stuart Broad out of the playing XI for the third Test against Australia in Melbourne. The decision has left Vaughan baffled as the former England captain questioned how can someone as experienced as Broad miss out on a spot in the playing XI despite the pitch being a green top. “I look at someone like Stuart Broad; in Brisbane, he wasn’t selected on that green top there, he’s not selected here. How England have not seen Stuart Broad, with all his experience, such a wonderful Test career, is not going to be bowling a ball on a green top in Brisbane and now not here in Melbourne, that’s staggering really," said Vaughan. Also Read: Hapless England bundled out for 185 as Australia continue domination in 3rd Ashes Test Taking a dig at England over their shambolic performances in the Ashes 2021-22 so far, Vaughan said the only thing they have done right in the series is to turn up on time for every game. "How Stuart Broad is not going to be bowling around the wicket to David Warner on a green top, I just can’t fathom that with the quality that he brings. So far the only thing they’ve done right on the trip is turn up on time,” Vaughan concluded.

'Whole England set-up is under pressure': Vaughan slams Root & Co. after dismal show in 3rd Ashes Test

England have started the Ashes 2021/22 edition on a disastrous note. Losing the first Test by 9 wickets, Joe Root &amp; Co. lost the second Test at the picturesque Adelaide Oval, Adelaide by a whopping 275-run margin and now have to produce flawless performances to win the Ashes after conceding a 2-0 lead to Pat Cummins-led Australia.

After England's heavy defeat in the day-night Adelaide Test, Captain Root had criticised and blamed the bowlers for the loss. The bowlers couldn't dismiss the Aussies in both the innings, with hosts declaring at 473-9 and 230/9 respectively. Speaking after the crushing loss, Root had said, "With ball in hand, we didn't bowl the right lengths," he said. "We needed to bowl fuller. As soon as we did in the second innings, we created chances. That's frustrating. We did it four years ago and didn't learn from it. We have to be better."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-rankings-labuschagne-dethrones-root-to-become-no-1-test-batter-babar-reclaims-top-spot-in-t20is-439022">ICC Rankings: Labuschagne dethrones Root to become No. 1 Test batter, Babar reclaims top spot in T20Is</a>

Now, pace spearhead James Anderson has shifted the blame on the batters for their poor performances, as the visitors were bundled out for 236 and 192 in the day-night contest. "We did not bat well enough on a pitch where the data said it was one of the flattest Adelaide surfaces ever produced and the pink ball did the least it has ever done in a day-night game," wrote Anderson in a column for the&nbsp;Telegraph.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Anderson said, "From a bowlers' point of view, you want to be hitting the right lengths all the time. We did our best on the first two days to do that ... Maybe we could have gone a touch fuller at times but we still created quite a few changes that were not taken."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-is-ordinary-and-unlucky-australia-legend-calls-joe-root-poor-captain-as-england-struggle-in-ashes-438168">'He is ordinary and unlucky': Australia legend calls Joe Root poor captain as England struggle in Ashes</a>

"We have to be better at assessing it during a game. We can't just go after the game, 'we should have bowled fuller'... We have to be a bit more proactive at that too as a whole group," added&nbsp;the legendary England fast-bowler.&nbsp;

It is important to note that both the batters and bowlers had fallen flat even in the Ashes opener, at The Gabba, Brisbane.

Given the difference of opinions in the English camp amid their&nbsp;miseries in the ongoing Ashes Down Under, it will be very difficult for the Root-led visitors to stage a recovery in the remainder of the series. The third Test, i.e. the Boxing Day encounter, starts on December 26 at Melbourne Cricket Ground, MCG.

England have started the Ashes 2021/22 edition on a disastrous note. Losing the first Test by 9 wickets, Joe Root & Co. lost the second Test at the picturesque Adelaide Oval, Adelaide by a whopping 275-run margin and now have to produce flawless performances to win the Ashes after conceding a 2-0 lead to Pat Cummins-led Australia.

England have started the Ashes 2021/22 edition on a disastrous note. Losing the first Test by 9 wickets, Joe Root & Co. lost the second Test at the picturesque Adelaide Oval, Adelaide by a whopping 275-run margin and now have to produce flawless performances to win the Ashes after conceding a 2-0 lead to Pat Cummins-led Australia. After England's heavy defeat in the day-night Adelaide Test, Captain Root had criticised and blamed the bowlers for the loss. The bowlers couldn't dismiss the Aussies in both the innings, with hosts declaring at 473-9 and 230/9 respectively. Speaking after the crushing loss, Root had said, "With ball in hand, we didn't bowl the right lengths," he said. "We needed to bowl fuller. As soon as we did in the second innings, we created chances. That's frustrating. We did it four years ago and didn't learn from it. We have to be better." ALSO READ | ICC Rankings: Labuschagne dethrones Root to become No. 1 Test batter, Babar reclaims top spot in T20Is Now, pace spearhead James Anderson has shifted the blame on the batters for their poor performances, as the visitors were bundled out for 236 and 192 in the day-night contest. "We did not bat well enough on a pitch where the data said it was one of the flattest Adelaide surfaces ever produced and the pink ball did the least it has ever done in a day-night game," wrote Anderson in a column for the Telegraph. Anderson said, "From a bowlers' point of view, you want to be hitting the right lengths all the time. We did our best on the first two days to do that ... Maybe we could have gone a touch fuller at times but we still created quite a few changes that were not taken." ALSO READ | 'He is ordinary and unlucky': Australia legend calls Joe Root poor captain as England struggle in Ashes "We have to be better at assessing it during a game. We can't just go after the game, 'we should have bowled fuller'... We have to be a bit more proactive at that too as a whole group," added the legendary England fast-bowler. It is important to note that both the batters and bowlers had fallen flat even in the Ashes opener, at The Gabba, Brisbane. Given the difference of opinions in the English camp amid their miseries in the ongoing Ashes Down Under, it will be very difficult for the Root-led visitors to stage a recovery in the remainder of the series. The third Test, i.e. the Boxing Day encounter, starts on December 26 at Melbourne Cricket Ground, MCG.

Ashes 2021: James Anderson shifts blame on batters after Joe Root's criticism of England bowlers

Marnus Labuschagne of Australia has overtaken England's Joe Root to become the No. 1 batter in the ICC Men's Test Player Rankings, a position Root had held since August of this year.

Marnus made his first Ashes century in the second Test, which was held in Adelaide, and was named 'Player of the Match' for his innings of 103 and 51, which contributed to Australia's 275-run victory against England.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-the-selectors-call-former-india-pacer-feels-bcci-was-behind-virat-kohli-being-sacked-as-odi-captain-438994">Not the selectors' call: Former India pacer feels BCCI was behind Virat Kohli being sacked as ODI captain</a>

Labuschagne is the ninth Australian to reach the 900-point milestone with the bat, the elite list includes Sir Don Bradman, Ricky Pointing, Mathew Hayden, Steve Smith, Michael Clarke, and others.

Mitchell Starc has also returned to the world's top 10 Test bowlers for the first time since January. While his compatriot Pat Cummins maintained his lead despite missing the second Test.

On the other hand, England's Ollie Robinson has entered the world's top 25 bowlers for the first time, with a career-high 597 points, while Joe Root has entered the world's top 10 all-rounders for the first time after his 111th Test match.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-rankings-marnus-labuschagne-rises-to-second-spot-in-tests-babar-azam-dethroned-in-t20is-437189">ICC Rankings: Marnus Labuschagne rises to second spot in Tests, Babar Azam dethroned in T20Is</a>

In the ICC Men's T20I Player Rankings, Pakistan's Babar Azam and England's Dawid Malan are tied at the first spot. Mohammad Rizwan currently has a career-high 798 points and is the second Pakistani in the top three.

The West Indies' bright spot in their 3-0 T20I series defeat to Pakistan was stand-in captain Nicholas Pooran. His 108 runs with a strike rate of 147.94 moved him up to 27th position, up from his previous career best of 30th.

(With inputs from agencies)

Marnus Labuschagne of Australia has overtaken England's Joe Root to become the No. 1 batter in the ICC Men's Test Player Rankings, a position Root had held since August of this year.

Marnus Labuschagne of Australia has overtaken England's Joe Root to become the No. 1 batter in the ICC Men's Test Player Rankings, a position Root had held since August of this year. Marnus made his first Ashes century in the second Test, which was held in Adelaide, and was named 'Player of the Match' for his innings of 103 and 51, which contributed to Australia's 275-run victory against England. ALSO READ | Not the selectors' call: Former India pacer feels BCCI was behind Virat Kohli being sacked as ODI captain Labuschagne is the ninth Australian to reach the 900-point milestone with the bat, the elite list includes Sir Don Bradman, Ricky Pointing, Mathew Hayden, Steve Smith, Michael Clarke, and others. Mitchell Starc has also returned to the world's top 10 Test bowlers for the first time since January. While his compatriot Pat Cummins maintained his lead despite missing the second Test. On the other hand, England's Ollie Robinson has entered the world's top 25 bowlers for the first time, with a career-high 597 points, while Joe Root has entered the world's top 10 all-rounders for the first time after his 111th Test match. ALSO READ: ICC Rankings: Marnus Labuschagne rises to second spot in Tests, Babar Azam dethroned in T20Is In the ICC Men's T20I Player Rankings, Pakistan's Babar Azam and England's Dawid Malan are tied at the first spot. Mohammad Rizwan currently has a career-high 798 points and is the second Pakistani in the top three. The West Indies' bright spot in their 3-0 T20I series defeat to Pakistan was stand-in captain Nicholas Pooran. His 108 runs with a strike rate of 147.94 moved him up to 27th position, up from his previous career best of 30th. (With inputs from agencies)

ICC Rankings: Labuschagne dethrones Root to become No. 1 Test batter, Babar reclaims top spot in T20Is

Former England captain Michael Vaugh wants England to get 'nastier' and show some fight in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 against Australia. Vaughan feels the ongoing Ashes series between the arch-rivals has been too friendly and that the England players need to rile up the Aussies and get on their nerves to bounce back in the third Test which gets underway from Sunday (December 26).

England were crushed by 275 runs in the second Test in Adelaide on Monday to suffer their second straight defeat in the series and go down 2-0. England captain Joe Root was seen speaking with some of the Australian players post his side's loss. Vaughan said it was not something he would have done as a captain of the England team after losing a game.

"I see on the morning of the game they are all talking to Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon. I never had a conversation with Steve Waugh back in the day. I wouldn't have dared go and speak to Glenn McGrath on the morning of the game or Shane Warne. You just didn't," Vaughan told Fox Cricket.

"It's all a bit friendly. I'd get nasty with them They somehow need to find that on day one. Get into the scrap. Chirp, do whatever, just get into the scrap," he added.

Vaughan feels England need to make some changes not just in their playing XI but also in their attitude on the field. The former captain has urged Root &amp; Co. to pick up fights with the Australian players if it helps the visitors in staging a fightback in the series.

"They are at that stage now where they have to change something. It might be that they all get nasty, get nasty with each other. They all fall out. Who cares, but then come out and show a bit of spirit I actually want to see a bit of mongrel in the England side," said Vaughan.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/why-are-you-captain-ricky-ponting-slams-joe-root-as-england-skipper-blames-bowler-after-ashes-debacle-438704">Why are you captain? Ponting slams Joe Root as England skipper blames bowler after Ashes debacle</a>

After two back-to-back losses in the first two matches of the Ashes 2021-22, England are on the verge of losing the series. Australis will clinch the five-match series 3-0 if they manage to win the third Test which is scheduled to get underway from December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne.

England are expected to make a host of changes in the playing XI for the all-important game with one out of James Anderson or Stuart Broad likely to sit out after their average performance in the second Test which was a pink-ball game.

Former England captain Michael Vaugh wants England to get 'nastier' and show some fight in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 against Australia. Vaughan feels the ongoing Ashes series between the arch-rivals has been too friendly and that the England players need to rile up the Aussies and get on their nerves to bounce back in the third Test which gets underway from Sunday (December 26).

Former England captain Michael Vaugh wants England to get 'nastier' and show some fight in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 against Australia. Vaughan feels the ongoing Ashes series between the arch-rivals has been too friendly and that the England players need to rile up the Aussies and get on their nerves to bounce back in the third Test which gets underway from Sunday (December 26). England were crushed by 275 runs in the second Test in Adelaide on Monday to suffer their second straight defeat in the series and go down 2-0. England captain Joe Root was seen speaking with some of the Australian players post his side's loss. Vaughan said it was not something he would have done as a captain of the England team after losing a game. "I see on the morning of the game they are all talking to Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon. I never had a conversation with Steve Waugh back in the day. I wouldn't have dared go and speak to Glenn McGrath on the morning of the game or Shane Warne. You just didn't," Vaughan told Fox Cricket. "It's all a bit friendly. I'd get nasty with them They somehow need to find that on day one. Get into the scrap. Chirp, do whatever, just get into the scrap," he added. Vaughan feels England need to make some changes not just in their playing XI but also in their attitude on the field. The former captain has urged Root & Co. to pick up fights with the Australian players if it helps the visitors in staging a fightback in the series. "They are at that stage now where they have to change something. It might be that they all get nasty, get nasty with each other. They all fall out. Who cares, but then come out and show a bit of spirit I actually want to see a bit of mongrel in the England side," said Vaughan. Also Read: Why are you captain? Ponting slams Joe Root as England skipper blames bowler after Ashes debacle After two back-to-back losses in the first two matches of the Ashes 2021-22, England are on the verge of losing the series. Australis will clinch the five-match series 3-0 if they manage to win the third Test which is scheduled to get underway from December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne. England are expected to make a host of changes in the playing XI for the all-important game with one out of James Anderson or Stuart Broad likely to sit out after their average performance in the second Test which was a pink-ball game.

Ashes bit friendly: Michael Vaughan wants Joe Root & Co. to get 'nasty' to bounce back against Australia

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has slammed England skipper Joe Root for his comments criticisng English bowlers after the visitors lost the second Test by a huge margin of 272 runs to go 2-0 down in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22. England were bundled out for just 192 runs while chasing a huge target of 468 runs to suffer their second straight defeat in the Ashes.

England captain Root was critical of his bowlers and said they should have been 'braver' and bowler better lengths against the Aussie batters. It was a disappointing show from the England bowlers as the duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad could only manage a total of five wickets between them across Australia's two innings.

While Root was not happy with the efforts of England's bowlers, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said the onus was on the skipper to ask his bowlers to change their line and length. Ponting said he nearly fell off his seat when he heard Root criticising his bowlers and questioned why was he the captain if he can't make his bowlers bowl as per his instructions.

"I nearly fell off my seat when I heard that. Whose job is it then to make them change? Why are you captain then?" - &nbsp;Ponting told cricket.com.au.

"If you can't influence your bowlers on what length to bowl, what are you doing on the field? Joe Root can come back and say whatever he likes but if you're captain, you've got to be able to sense when your bowlers aren't bowling where you want them to. That's what captaincy is all about," the former Australia captain added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/felt-crushed-r-ashwin-recalls-ravi-shastris-huge-praise-for-kuldeep-yadav-during-2018-19-australia-tour-438692">Felt crushed:&nbsp;Ashwin recalls Ravi Shastri's huge praise for Kuldeep Yadav during 2018-19 Australia tour</a>

Ponting further aimed a dig at Root and said England's bowling was the best when the visiting captain was not on the ground for a short period of time on Day 4. Root didn't come out to the field as he was suffering from a groin injury with Ben Stokes acting as the stand-in skipper in his absence.

"The interesting thing for me is the only time they bowled full in the game was when Joe Root wasn't on the ground," Ponting said.

"The start of day four when they had a meeting on the ground before play started, Stokes took over the captaincy, and that was the only time in the game they pitched the ball up," he added.

England are currently 2-0 down in Ashes 2021-22 and will be looking to bounce back to winning ways when they lock horns in the third Test against Australia in Melbourne from December 26. 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has slammed England skipper Joe Root for his comments criticisng English bowlers after the visitors lost the second Test by a huge margin of 272 runs to go 2-0 down in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has slammed England skipper Joe Root for his comments criticisng English bowlers after the visitors lost the second Test by a huge margin of 272 runs to go 2-0 down in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22. England were bundled out for just 192 runs while chasing a huge target of 468 runs to suffer their second straight defeat in the Ashes. England captain Root was critical of his bowlers and said they should have been 'braver' and bowler better lengths against the Aussie batters. It was a disappointing show from the England bowlers as the duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad could only manage a total of five wickets between them across Australia's two innings. While Root was not happy with the efforts of England's bowlers, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said the onus was on the skipper to ask his bowlers to change their line and length. Ponting said he nearly fell off his seat when he heard Root criticising his bowlers and questioned why was he the captain if he can't make his bowlers bowl as per his instructions. "I nearly fell off my seat when I heard that. Whose job is it then to make them change? Why are you captain then?" - Ponting told cricket.com.au. "If you can't influence your bowlers on what length to bowl, what are you doing on the field? Joe Root can come back and say whatever he likes but if you're captain, you've got to be able to sense when your bowlers aren't bowling where you want them to. That's what captaincy is all about," the former Australia captain added. Also Read: Felt crushed: Ashwin recalls Ravi Shastri's huge praise for Kuldeep Yadav during 2018-19 Australia tour Ponting further aimed a dig at Root and said England's bowling was the best when the visiting captain was not on the ground for a short period of time on Day 4. Root didn't come out to the field as he was suffering from a groin injury with Ben Stokes acting as the stand-in skipper in his absence. "The interesting thing for me is the only time they bowled full in the game was when Joe Root wasn't on the ground," Ponting said. "The start of day four when they had a meeting on the ground before play started, Stokes took over the captaincy, and that was the only time in the game they pitched the ball up," he added. England are currently 2-0 down in Ashes 2021-22 and will be looking to bounce back to winning ways when they lock horns in the third Test against Australia in Melbourne from December 26.

Why are you captain? Ricky Ponting slams Joe Root as England skipper blames bowler after Ashes debacle

The second Test between Australia and England ended with the Steve Smith-led Aussies thrashing England by a whopping 275-run margin at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide on Monday (December 20). Despite being without regular captain Pat Cummins and premier pacer Josh Hazlewood, the hosts produced an all-round display to demolish a toothless Joe Root-led England line-up and go 2-0 up in the Ashes 2021/22 series Down Under.

Opting to bat first, Smith-led Aussies posted 473-9 decl. riding on Marnus Labuschagne's 103 and fifties from David Warner, Smith and Alex Carey. In reply, England's batting woes continued as they bundled out for 236. With a lead of 237, Australia added 230&nbsp;more runs in their second essay -- losing nine wickets in the process -- to setup a daunting 468-run target for the visitors.

England showed some character courtesy their lower middle-order's fight on the final day, with Jos Buttler's 207-ball 26, before they were dismissed for a paltry 192 in 113.1 overs to lose by a whopping margin and go further down in the series. Here's a look at the updated points table of the second cycle of the WTC after England's latest drubbing:

<img alt="WTC Points Table after 2nd Ashes Test" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a8ccf83e-1544-443d-9706-32812652c111" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/WTC%20PT.PNG" />

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-2nd-test-hosts-australia-beat-england-by-275-runs-in-adelaide-lead-series-2-0-438371">Ashes, 2nd Test: Hosts Australia beat England by 275 runs in Adelaide, lead series 2-0</a>

Dimuth Karunartne-led Sri Lanka continue to dominate the points table and the Islanders are followed by Australia, Pakistan and India. Root-led England have plenty to ponder upon with them languishing at the bottom-half, only above Bangladesh, at the seventh position. They need a herculean effort to stage a recovery in the Ashes 2021/22 edition with Australia showcasing their dominance at home.

After the loss, Root stated at the post-match presentation, "I feel we competed in patches, but we need to fight the whole game. That’s what is needed to win here. The attitude today was brilliant. We just need to do more of it. I expect us to have that mentality for the rest of the series."

More changes are expected in the WTC points table by the end of December with Test series lined-up between New Zealand-Bangladesh and India-South Africa.&nbsp;

The second Test between Australia and England ended with the Steve Smith-led Aussies thrashing England by a whopping 275-run margin at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide on Monday (December 20).

The second Test between Australia and England ended with the Steve Smith-led Aussies thrashing England by a whopping 275-run margin at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide on Monday (December 20). Despite being without regular captain Pat Cummins and premier pacer Josh Hazlewood, the hosts produced an all-round display to demolish a toothless Joe Root-led England line-up and go 2-0 up in the Ashes 2021/22 series Down Under. Opting to bat first, Smith-led Aussies posted 473-9 decl. riding on Marnus Labuschagne's 103 and fifties from David Warner, Smith and Alex Carey. In reply, England's batting woes continued as they bundled out for 236. With a lead of 237, Australia added 230 more runs in their second essay -- losing nine wickets in the process -- to setup a daunting 468-run target for the visitors. England showed some character courtesy their lower middle-order's fight on the final day, with Jos Buttler's 207-ball 26, before they were dismissed for a paltry 192 in 113.1 overs to lose by a whopping margin and go further down in the series. Here's a look at the updated points table of the second cycle of the WTC after England's latest drubbing: ALSO READ | Ashes, 2nd Test: Hosts Australia beat England by 275 runs in Adelaide, lead series 2-0 Dimuth Karunartne-led Sri Lanka continue to dominate the points table and the Islanders are followed by Australia, Pakistan and India. Root-led England have plenty to ponder upon with them languishing at the bottom-half, only above Bangladesh, at the seventh position. They need a herculean effort to stage a recovery in the Ashes 2021/22 edition with Australia showcasing their dominance at home. After the loss, Root stated at the post-match presentation, "I feel we competed in patches, but we need to fight the whole game. That’s what is needed to win here. The attitude today was brilliant. We just need to do more of it. I expect us to have that mentality for the rest of the series." More changes are expected in the WTC points table by the end of December with Test series lined-up between New Zealand-Bangladesh and India-South Africa.

Updated WTC points table after Australia thrash England in day-night Ashes Test in Adelaide

England had another bad day at the office as Australia once again dominated the proceedings on Day 4 of the onging second Test in Ashes 2021-22. The hosts rode on half-centuries from Marnus Labuschagne (51) and Travis Head (51) to help Australia extend their lead past the 450-run mark and set up a daunting target of 468 runs for England.

England batters were expected to stage a fightback, however, the visitors were further pinned back by the Aussies after losing opener Haseeb Hameed cheaply on a duck in the second over of their second innings. The visitors then lost Dawid Malan (20), Rory Burns (34) and Joe Root (24) by the end of Day 4's play to be reeling at 82/4 with a staggering 386 runs to chase.

For Root, the day went worse from bad as he copped a blow on the box off a delivery from left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc. Root, who had been taken for scans after an abdomen injury during England's first innings, was once again hit around the same region and needed physio's attention.&nbsp;

Root was clearly in pain and not comfortable as he was sene struggling to complete a run after being hit on the box. Root's funny way of completing the run due to the pain left the commentators, including former Australia captain Rickey Ponting in splits. Ponting is part of the commentary panel for 7Cricket for the ongoing Ashes 2021-22.&nbsp;

While some criticised the commentators for their gesture, some fans saw the funny side of the things as the video went viral on social media. David Warner, who was fielding first slip, was also seen smiling as he saw Root complete the run uncomfortably.

Watch video:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Absolute scenes in the commentary box, completely losing it watching Joe Root run <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ashes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ashes</a> <a href="https://t.co/0CoJCSPTKD">pic.twitter.com/0CoJCSPTKD</a>
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/7Cricket/status/1472530294976638976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-is-ordinary-and-unlucky-australia-legend-calls-joe-root-poor-captain-as-england-struggle-in-ashes-438168">&nbsp;'He is ordinary and unlucky': Australia legend calls Joe Root poor captain as England struggle in Ashes</a>

Australia close in on back-to-back wins

Australia are currently 1-0 ahead in the Ashes 2021-22 after winning the first Test at The Gabba by nine wickets and care closing in on another big win in Adelaide. The hosts, who picked up four wickets in England's second innings on Day 4, are only six wickets away from clinching the second Test and making it 2-0.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

England had another bad day at the office as Australia once again dominated the proceedings on Day 4 of the onging second Test in Ashes 2021-22. The hosts rode on half-centuries from Marnus Labuschagne (51) and Travis Head (51) to help Australia extend their lead past the 450-run mark and set up a daunting target of 468 runs for England.

England had another bad day at the office as Australia once again dominated the proceedings on Day 4 of the onging second Test in Ashes 2021-22. The hosts rode on half-centuries from Marnus Labuschagne (51) and Travis Head (51) to help Australia extend their lead past the 450-run mark and set up a daunting target of 468 runs for England. England batters were expected to stage a fightback, however, the visitors were further pinned back by the Aussies after losing opener Haseeb Hameed cheaply on a duck in the second over of their second innings. The visitors then lost Dawid Malan (20), Rory Burns (34) and Joe Root (24) by the end of Day 4's play to be reeling at 82/4 with a staggering 386 runs to chase. For Root, the day went worse from bad as he copped a blow on the box off a delivery from left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc. Root, who had been taken for scans after an abdomen injury during England's first innings, was once again hit around the same region and needed physio's attention. Root was clearly in pain and not comfortable as he was sene struggling to complete a run after being hit on the box. Root's funny way of completing the run due to the pain left the commentators, including former Australia captain Rickey Ponting in splits. Ponting is part of the commentary panel for 7Cricket for the ongoing Ashes 2021-22. While some criticised the commentators for their gesture, some fans saw the funny side of the things as the video went viral on social media. David Warner, who was fielding first slip, was also seen smiling as he saw Root complete the run uncomfortably. Watch video: Absolute scenes in the commentary box, completely losing it watching Joe Root run #Ashes pic.twitter.com/0CoJCSPTKD — 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 19, 2021 × Also Read: 'He is ordinary and unlucky': Australia legend calls Joe Root poor captain as England struggle in Ashes Australia close in on back-to-back wins Australia are currently 1-0 ahead in the Ashes 2021-22 after winning the first Test at The Gabba by nine wickets and care closing in on another big win in Adelaide. The hosts, who picked up four wickets in England's second innings on Day 4, are only six wickets away from clinching the second Test and making it 2-0.

WATCH: Ricky Ponting left in splits as Joe Root struggles to run after being hit on the box during 2nd Test

England are currently taking on hosts Australia in what has been a fairly one-sided Ashes 2021-22 so far with the Aussies dominating the proceedings in their own backyard. Australia thrashed England by nine wickets in the first Test at The Gabba to take a 1-0 lead in the series and are currently on the verge of sealing another comprehensive win in the ongoing second Ashes Test between the two sides in Adelaide.

Joe Root has been facing constant criticism amidst England's struggles while the players have also faced a lot of stick for their poor show in the series so far. Recently, Australia legend Ian Chappell weighed in on the captaincy debate between England and Australia and called Pat Cummins a better leader than Root.

Root is the most successful Test captain for England while Cummins is leading Australia for the first time in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22. However, Chappell believes Cummins is a leader who stands up and delivers for his team when the situation requires, while Root is a good batter but not a great captain.

“Cummins acquired the appropriate nickname Postman Pat before he was appointed captain. He is accorded this handle because he regularly delivers, often providing Australia with a wicket when it’s needed. There is a lot to like about Cummins’ appointment, and he certainly delivered in his first captaincy Test with a five-wicket innings haul at the Gabba,” Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNcricinfo.

Chappell believes there is significant scope for Cummins to improve as captain and that he will learn from his mistakes as he grows in his role as the leader of the team. “Cummins will improve as a captain because that is what good leaders do: they learn from their mistakes and try to avoid making them in the future,” said Chappell.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/salman-butt-on-chances-of-rohit-replacing-kohli-as-test-captain-will-be-clear-there-is-tension-between-them-438153">Salman Butt on chances of Rohit replacing Kohli as Test captain: Will be clear, there is tension between them</a>

The Australian legend labelled Root a poor captain, calling him an ordinary leader who lacks imagination despite having been in a leadership role for a while now.&nbsp;

“Root is an excellent batter but a poor captain. It would not be unfair to describe him as an ordinary and unlucky captain. Rarely do you find a long-term captain who is lacking in imagination but is also lucky. A fortunate captain is usually lucky because the players believe he is some kind of miracle-worker and things tend to work out because of the team’s belief,” Chappell opined.

Australia have looked in control in the Ashes 2021-22 so far and are getting closer to once again retaning the prestigious urn as they move towards a likely win in the second Test in Adelaide.

England are currently taking on hosts Australia in what has been a fairly one-sided Ashes 2021-22 so far with the Aussies dominating the proceedings in their own backyard.

England are currently taking on hosts Australia in what has been a fairly one-sided Ashes 2021-22 so far with the Aussies dominating the proceedings in their own backyard. Australia thrashed England by nine wickets in the first Test at The Gabba to take a 1-0 lead in the series and are currently on the verge of sealing another comprehensive win in the ongoing second Ashes Test between the two sides in Adelaide. Joe Root has been facing constant criticism amidst England's struggles while the players have also faced a lot of stick for their poor show in the series so far. Recently, Australia legend Ian Chappell weighed in on the captaincy debate between England and Australia and called Pat Cummins a better leader than Root. Root is the most successful Test captain for England while Cummins is leading Australia for the first time in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22. However, Chappell believes Cummins is a leader who stands up and delivers for his team when the situation requires, while Root is a good batter but not a great captain. “Cummins acquired the appropriate nickname Postman Pat before he was appointed captain. He is accorded this handle because he regularly delivers, often providing Australia with a wicket when it’s needed. There is a lot to like about Cummins’ appointment, and he certainly delivered in his first captaincy Test with a five-wicket innings haul at the Gabba,” Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNcricinfo. Chappell believes there is significant scope for Cummins to improve as captain and that he will learn from his mistakes as he grows in his role as the leader of the team. “Cummins will improve as a captain because that is what good leaders do: they learn from their mistakes and try to avoid making them in the future,” said Chappell. Also Read: Salman Butt on chances of Rohit replacing Kohli as Test captain: Will be clear, there is tension between them The Australian legend labelled Root a poor captain, calling him an ordinary leader who lacks imagination despite having been in a leadership role for a while now. “Root is an excellent batter but a poor captain. It would not be unfair to describe him as an ordinary and unlucky captain. Rarely do you find a long-term captain who is lacking in imagination but is also lucky. A fortunate captain is usually lucky because the players believe he is some kind of miracle-worker and things tend to work out because of the team’s belief,” Chappell opined. Australia have looked in control in the Ashes 2021-22 so far and are getting closer to once again retaning the prestigious urn as they move towards a likely win in the second Test in Adelaide.

'He is ordinary and unlucky': Australia legend calls Joe Root poor captain as England struggle in Ashes

England captain Joe Root has been in sensational form in Test cricket this year. He has been the highest run-getter in the format in 2021 and is continuing his purple patch in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 against Australia. After impressing with the bat in the first Test, Root notched up another half-century in the ongoing second Test against the Aussies in Adelaide on Saturday.

Batting first, Australia once again dominated the proceedings on the first two days of the Test match as they rode on Marnuc Labuschagne's hundred (103) and half-centuries from David Warner (95), Steve Smith (93) and Alex Carey (51) to post a strong total of 473 runs on the board in their first innings.&nbsp;

England once again were under pressure as they lost openers Haseeb Hameed (6) and Rory Burns (4) cheaply towards the end of Day 2 to find themselves reeling on 12/2. However, captain Root combined with Dawid Malan on Day 3 (Saturday) to steady the ship for the visitors.

Both Root and Malan notched up their respective half-centuries and are currently unbeaten out in the middle as England look to stage a fightback. With his fifty, Root also achieved an elusive milestone as he broke the legendary Sachin Tendulkar's record to go 5th on the list of most runs scored by any batter in a calendar year in Test cricket.

Tendulkar was placed fifth on the list for his 1562 runs in 2010. Root surpassed him and is now in the closing distance of Michael Clarke, who is at the fourth spot with 1595 runs in 2012.

Most runs in a calendar year in Test cricket:

1) Mohamamd Yousuf (2006): 1788 runs 
2) Viv Richards (1976): 1710 runs 
3) Graeme Smith (2008): 1656 
4) Michael Clarke (2012): 1595 
5) Joe Root (2021): 1563* runs 
6) Sachin Tendulkar (2010): 1562 runs 
7) Sunil Gavaskar (1979): 1555 runs

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-2021-they-havent-got-a-clue-with-selections-ian-chappell-reacts-to-englands-struggles-437752">Ashes 2021: 'They haven't got a clue with selections', Ian Chappell reacts to England's struggles</a>

While Root and Malan have added over 130 runs between them for the second wicket so far, England still have a long way to go in nailing down Australia's first-innings total of 473 runs and will need a couple of more big partnerships from their other batters to remain in the pink-ball Test.

&nbsp;

England captain Joe Root has been in sensational form in Test cricket this year. He has been the highest run-getter in the format in 2021 and is continuing his purple patch in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 against Australia.

England captain Joe Root has been in sensational form in Test cricket this year. He has been the highest run-getter in the format in 2021 and is continuing his purple patch in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 against Australia. After impressing with the bat in the first Test, Root notched up another half-century in the ongoing second Test against the Aussies in Adelaide on Saturday. Batting first, Australia once again dominated the proceedings on the first two days of the Test match as they rode on Marnuc Labuschagne's hundred (103) and half-centuries from David Warner (95), Steve Smith (93) and Alex Carey (51) to post a strong total of 473 runs on the board in their first innings. England once again were under pressure as they lost openers Haseeb Hameed (6) and Rory Burns (4) cheaply towards the end of Day 2 to find themselves reeling on 12/2. However, captain Root combined with Dawid Malan on Day 3 (Saturday) to steady the ship for the visitors. Both Root and Malan notched up their respective half-centuries and are currently unbeaten out in the middle as England look to stage a fightback. With his fifty, Root also achieved an elusive milestone as he broke the legendary Sachin Tendulkar's record to go 5th on the list of most runs scored by any batter in a calendar year in Test cricket. Tendulkar was placed fifth on the list for his 1562 runs in 2010. Root surpassed him and is now in the closing distance of Michael Clarke, who is at the fourth spot with 1595 runs in 2012. Most runs in a calendar year in Test cricket: 1) Mohamamd Yousuf (2006): 1788 runs 2) Viv Richards (1976): 1710 runs 3) Graeme Smith (2008): 1656 4) Michael Clarke (2012): 1595 5) Joe Root (2021): 1563* runs 6) Sachin Tendulkar (2010): 1562 runs 7) Sunil Gavaskar (1979): 1555 runs Also Read: Ashes 2021: 'They haven't got a clue with selections', Ian Chappell reacts to England's struggles While Root and Malan have added over 130 runs between them for the second wicket so far, England still have a long way to go in nailing down Australia's first-innings total of 473 runs and will need a couple of more big partnerships from their other batters to remain in the pink-ball Test.

Joe Root breaks Sachin Tendulkar's record as England captain continues purple patch in Ashes 2021-22

The Joe Root-led England Test team are tottering in the ongoing Ashes 2021/22 edition Down Under. Losing the first Test by a whopping 9-wicket margin versus Pat Cummins-led Australia, the English line-up saw five crucial&nbsp;points being deducted from their tally for slow over-rate at The Gabba, Brisbane.

Nonetheless, the visiting side have been dealt with a bigger blow as three more points have been deducted from as it has been found out that they were eight overs short of the mark post the Brisbane Test (according to the ICC). Hence, Root &amp; Co. have now lost a total of ten points due to slow over-rate in the second cycle of the WTC. For the unversed, England had earlier been penalised for the same reason during their home series versus Virat Kohli-led Team India in August-September.&nbsp;

Following England's points getting deducted further, here's the updated WTC points table that sees Sri Lanka, Australia, Pakistan and India as&nbsp;the top four-ranked sides. England are now languishing at the seventh place, above lowly-ranked Bangladesh.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-2021-they-havent-got-a-clue-with-selections-ian-chappell-reacts-to-englands-struggles-437752">Ashes 2021: 'They haven't got a clue with selections', Ian Chappell reacts to England's struggles</a>

<img alt="Updated WTC Points Table" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1d58ad6e-494f-4056-a1b8-50e2c4464d44" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/WTC.PNG" />

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/we-may-see-virat-kohli-from-two-years-ago-slamming-centuries-after-centuries-predicts-sunil-gavaskar-437761">We may see Virat Kohli from two years ago slamming centuries after centuries, predicts Sunil Gavaskar</a>

England now have only six points from five&nbsp;Tests in the ongoing second cycle of the WTC. "England were eight overs short (not five overs short as previously announced) but were only fined 100 per cent of their match fee due to the limit,” the ICC said.

"However, the points deduction for penalty overs is not capped and must reflect the actual number of penalty overs a team is short of the minimum requirement as per Clause 16.1.2 of the ICC Playing Conditions, hence they have been penalised one point for each over they were short," it added.

Talking about Ashes 2021's second Test, Australia are in the driver's seat after posting 473 for 9 declared. In reply, England went to stumps on Day 2 being 17 for 2 in the day-night contest at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide.

More changes are expected in the WTC points table following the upcoming New Zealand-Bangladesh and India-South Africa Test series.

The Joe Root-led England Test team are tottering in the ongoing Ashes 2021/22 edition Down Under. Losing the first Test by a whopping 9-wicket margin versus Pat Cummins-led Australia, the English line-up saw five crucial points being deducted from their tally for slow over-rate at The Gabba, Brisbane.

The Joe Root-led England Test team are tottering in the ongoing Ashes 2021/22 edition Down Under. Losing the first Test by a whopping 9-wicket margin versus Pat Cummins-led Australia, the English line-up saw five crucial points being deducted from their tally for slow over-rate at The Gabba, Brisbane. Nonetheless, the visiting side have been dealt with a bigger blow as three more points have been deducted from as it has been found out that they were eight overs short of the mark post the Brisbane Test (according to the ICC). Hence, Root & Co. have now lost a total of ten points due to slow over-rate in the second cycle of the WTC. For the unversed, England had earlier been penalised for the same reason during their home series versus Virat Kohli-led Team India in August-September. Following England's points getting deducted further, here's the updated WTC points table that sees Sri Lanka, Australia, Pakistan and India as the top four-ranked sides. England are now languishing at the seventh place, above lowly-ranked Bangladesh. ALSO READ | Ashes 2021: 'They haven't got a clue with selections', Ian Chappell reacts to England's struggles ALSO READ | We may see Virat Kohli from two years ago slamming centuries after centuries, predicts Sunil Gavaskar England now have only six points from five Tests in the ongoing second cycle of the WTC. "England were eight overs short (not five overs short as previously announced) but were only fined 100 per cent of their match fee due to the limit,” the ICC said. "However, the points deduction for penalty overs is not capped and must reflect the actual number of penalty overs a team is short of the minimum requirement as per Clause 16.1.2 of the ICC Playing Conditions, hence they have been penalised one point for each over they were short," it added. Talking about Ashes 2021's second Test, Australia are in the driver's seat after posting 473 for 9 declared. In reply, England went to stumps on Day 2 being 17 for 2 in the day-night contest at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide. More changes are expected in the WTC points table following the upcoming New Zealand-Bangladesh and India-South Africa Test series.

Updated World Test Championship points table as England penalised for slow over-rate in Ashes opener

Jos Buttler took an absolute screamer in the first session of the opening day of Ashes 2021/22 edition on Thursday (December 16). With Stuart Broad bowling the eighth over, after Australia elected to bat first, the experienced pacer dropped it short and towards the leg side of opener Marcus Harris. Harris got an edge and the ball flew towards the keeper as Buttler&nbsp;timed his dive towards the right and covered some distance to hold onto the catch.

At one point, it looked like the ball would cross Buttler and reach the fence. However, the 31-year-old stunned one and all and produced a brilliant effort to get rid of Harris for cheap. Here's the video of Buttler's wonderful catch which was shared by cricket.com.au's official Twitter handle.

The caption read, "INSANE! Buttler pulls in an all-timer behind the stumps!"

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/explained-why-is-pat-cummins-is-out-of-2nd-ashes-test-as-steve-smith-leads-aussies-in-dn-contest-437308">EXPLAINED! Why is Pat Cummins is out of 2nd Ashes Test as Steve Smith leads Aussies in D/N contest</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
INSANE! Buttler pulls in an all-timer behind the stumps! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ashes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ashes</a> <a href="https://t.co/v96UgK42ce">pic.twitter.com/v96UgK42ce</a>
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1471339065341399043?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/former-australian-cricketer-michael-slater-arrested-and-charged-in-case-of-stalking-and-harassment-437165">Former Australian cricketer Michael Slater arrested and charged in case of stalking and harassment</a>

The second Test, of Ashes 2021/22, is oncourse with Australia off to a good start following Harris' early dismissal. David Warner (95) and Marcus Labuschagne's 100-run stand, for the second-wicket, have kept the Aussies ahead.&nbsp;

For the unversed, Australia are without their regular captain Pat Cummins in the second Test. Cummins has been ruled out after being identified as a close contact of a Covid case. Hence, Steve Smith is leading the side for the first time following the infamous sandpaper gate fiasco, which led to his sacking as Australia captain across formats.

Jos Buttler took an absolute screamer in the first session of the opening day of Ashes 2021/22 edition on Thursday (December 16). With Stuart Broad bowling the eighth over, after Australia elected to bat first, the experienced pacer dropped it short and towards the leg side of opener Marcus Harris.

Jos Buttler took an absolute screamer in the first session of the opening day of Ashes 2021/22 edition on Thursday (December 16). With Stuart Broad bowling the eighth over, after Australia elected to bat first, the experienced pacer dropped it short and towards the leg side of opener Marcus Harris. Harris got an edge and the ball flew towards the keeper as Buttler timed his dive towards the right and covered some distance to hold onto the catch. At one point, it looked like the ball would cross Buttler and reach the fence. However, the 31-year-old stunned one and all and produced a brilliant effort to get rid of Harris for cheap. Here's the video of Buttler's wonderful catch which was shared by cricket.com.au's official Twitter handle. The caption read, "INSANE! Buttler pulls in an all-timer behind the stumps!" ALSO READ | EXPLAINED! Why is Pat Cummins is out of 2nd Ashes Test as Steve Smith leads Aussies in D/N contest INSANE! Buttler pulls in an all-timer behind the stumps! #Ashes pic.twitter.com/v96UgK42ce — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 16, 2021 × ALSO READ | Former Australian cricketer Michael Slater arrested and charged in case of stalking and harassment The second Test, of Ashes 2021/22, is oncourse with Australia off to a good start following Harris' early dismissal. David Warner (95) and Marcus Labuschagne's 100-run stand, for the second-wicket, have kept the Aussies ahead. For the unversed, Australia are without their regular captain Pat Cummins in the second Test. Cummins has been ruled out after being identified as a close contact of a Covid case. Hence, Steve Smith is leading the side for the first time following the infamous sandpaper gate fiasco, which led to his sacking as Australia captain across formats.

Is that a bird? No it's Jos Buttler! England keeper takes a stunner on Day 1 of 2nd Ashes Test - Watch

Australia and England have locked horns with each other in the second Test of Ashes 2021/22 edition, at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide on Thursday (December 16). After Australia thrashed England by 9 wickets in the series opener at The Gabba, Brisbane, the hosts are hot favourites to win the second Test, which is a day-night contest at the picturesque Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, but were dealt with a major blow with skipper Pat Cummins being ruled out.

Cummins isn't injured but had to miss out after being identified as a&nbsp;close contact of a Covid case.&nbsp;Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed the reports and said in a statement, "(He) did not breach any biosecurity protocols. He isolated as soon as he became aware of the situation and has since had a PCR test, which produced a negative result. SA Health has confirmed that Cummins is a close contact and will be required to isolate for seven days."

For the unversed, CA claimed that pacer Mitchell Starc and spinner Nathan Lyon were dining at the same restaurant as Cummins, however, were at a separate table outdoors. Hence, they have been deemed casual contacts and are part of the 2nd Test.

Thus, Steve Smith has replaced Cummins as the Aussie skipper for the day-night contest.&nbsp;Smith is leading the national side for the first time ever since he was removed from the top post after the infamous sandpaper gate fiasco in early 2018.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/former-australian-cricketer-michael-slater-arrested-and-charged-in-case-of-stalking-and-harassment-437165">Former Australian cricketer Michael Slater arrested and charged in case of stalking and harassment</a>

Cummins tweeted saying, "Gutted to miss this Test but really excited to see Neser finally get his chance in the baggy green. He has done the hard yards and is a seriously skilful player. Super frustrating but COVID has thrown us all some curve balls over the last couple of years. Will be cheering along!"

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Gutted to miss this Test but really excited to see Neser finally get his chance in the baggy green. He has done the hard yards and is a seriously skilful player. Super frustrating but COVID has thrown us all some curve balls over the last couple of years. Will be cheering along!
— Pat Cummins (@patcummins30) <a href="https://twitter.com/patcummins30/status/1471302140597456896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ravindra-jadeja-shuns-test-retirement-rumours-in-style-courtesy-a-fitting-post-on-twitter-437162">Ravindra Jadeja shuns Test retirement rumours in style courtesy a fitting post on Twitter</a>

Meanwhile, Smith said at the coin toss, "We are going to have a bat. I think you can control the game if you bat first. Huge honour (to lead Australia again). Feel for Patty for missing this game. Hopefully we can have a good week. He just wished me good luck and said it's your team go well. Excited for Jhye and Michael Neser."

Cummins had led from the front in his maiden outing as the full-time Test captain in the series opener, with a seven-wicket haul in the contest. He will be gutted to miss out but hope for the Aussies to make it 2-0 before he returns to action in the upcoming Tests.

Australia and England have locked horns with each other in the second Test of Ashes 2021/22 edition, at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide on Thursday (December 16). After Australia thrashed England by 9 wickets in the series opener at The Gabba, Brisbane, the hosts are hot favourites to win the second Test, which is a day-night contest at the picturesque Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, but were dealt with a major blow with skipper Pat Cummins being ruled out.

Australia and England have locked horns with each other in the second Test of Ashes 2021/22 edition, at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide on Thursday (December 16). After Australia thrashed England by 9 wickets in the series opener at The Gabba, Brisbane, the hosts are hot favourites to win the second Test, which is a day-night contest at the picturesque Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, but were dealt with a major blow with skipper Pat Cummins being ruled out. Cummins isn't injured but had to miss out after being identified as a close contact of a Covid case. Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed the reports and said in a statement, "(He) did not breach any biosecurity protocols. He isolated as soon as he became aware of the situation and has since had a PCR test, which produced a negative result. SA Health has confirmed that Cummins is a close contact and will be required to isolate for seven days." For the unversed, CA claimed that pacer Mitchell Starc and spinner Nathan Lyon were dining at the same restaurant as Cummins, however, were at a separate table outdoors. Hence, they have been deemed casual contacts and are part of the 2nd Test. Thus, Steve Smith has replaced Cummins as the Aussie skipper for the day-night contest. Smith is leading the national side for the first time ever since he was removed from the top post after the infamous sandpaper gate fiasco in early 2018. ALSO READ | Former Australian cricketer Michael Slater arrested and charged in case of stalking and harassment Cummins tweeted saying, "Gutted to miss this Test but really excited to see Neser finally get his chance in the baggy green. He has done the hard yards and is a seriously skilful player. Super frustrating but COVID has thrown us all some curve balls over the last couple of years. Will be cheering along!" Gutted to miss this Test but really excited to see Neser finally get his chance in the baggy green. He has done the hard yards and is a seriously skilful player. Super frustrating but COVID has thrown us all some curve balls over the last couple of years. Will be cheering along! — Pat Cummins (@patcummins30) December 16, 2021 × ALSO READ | Ravindra Jadeja shuns Test retirement rumours in style courtesy a fitting post on Twitter Meanwhile, Smith said at the coin toss, "We are going to have a bat. I think you can control the game if you bat first. Huge honour (to lead Australia again). Feel for Patty for missing this game. Hopefully we can have a good week. He just wished me good luck and said it's your team go well. Excited for Jhye and Michael Neser." Cummins had led from the front in his maiden outing as the full-time Test captain in the series opener, with a seven-wicket haul in the contest. He will be gutted to miss out but hope for the Aussies to make it 2-0 before he returns to action in the upcoming Tests.

EXPLAINED! Why is Pat Cummins is out of 2nd Ashes Test as Steve Smith leads Aussies in D/N contest

The year 2021 was filled with plenty of cricketing action. The calendar year saw the inaugural ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final being held, where Kane Williamson-led New Zealand won the title. Apart from that, there were plenty of action and drama which came from the purest format, in the form of India-England Tests (both men's and women's), India vs Australia Tests (both in men's and women's), Pakistan-Bangladesh series, Sri Lanka-West Indies series, etc.

With the year coming to an end, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra&nbsp;picked his Test team of 2021. Chopra's team included some star-studded names and comprises four Indians. However, Captain Virat Kohli found no mention in his line-up.

For the unversed, Kohli didn't have a great year with the bat. While he led India with aplomb in the England series (both home and away) and a series win over New Zealand at home, he failed to cross the triple-figure mark and amassed only 483 runs, with four fifties, at 28.41. Hence, Chopra's list included Rohit Sharma (India's highest run-getter in 2021), Rishabh Pant, R Ashwin and Axar Patel.

Rohit compiled 906 runs, at 47.68, and&nbsp;is the second-highest run-getter overall. Ashwin leads the list of most wickets in Tests in the calendar year (52 scalps) whereas Axar accounted for 36 wickets (fourth overall). Pant, on the other hand, scored 706 runs with five fifties and one hundred (second-most by an Indian) and also showed vast improvement a a keeper. Both Pant and Ashwin have a chance to better their numbers in India's only Test remaining in 2021; i.e. the South Africa Test series opener in Centurion on December 26. Meanwhile, Rohit and Axar have been ruled out of action due to injury concerns.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohlis-post-for-ms-dhoni-during-ipl-14-adjudged-most-liked-and-retweeted-tweet-for-sports-in-2021-436631">Virat Kohli's post for MS Dhoni during IPL 14 adjudged most liked and retweeted tweet for sports in 2021</a>

Speaking about the top-order, Chopra's XI comprised Rohit, Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne, Joe Root and NZ's skipper Williamson.

He said in a video on his YouTube channel, "The first name coming to my mind is Rohit Sharma. It was a huge year for him, it was the year in which he fell in love with the longest format. He played amazing knocks, whether it was the century in Chennai and the consistent performances in England.&nbsp; My second opener is Sri Lanka's Dimuth Karunaratne. He has also made runs which also includes a double century. He was playing well against West Indies also. He might not be too pleasing on the eye but scores runs.".

"There was no contest at No.3. Joe Root is part of this team. He is the best Test batter of 2021, miles above the rest. He is just in a different league altogether. He gave amazing performances, whether it was the double century in India or Sri Lanka. At No.4, I have got Williamson. He scored a double century against Pakistan and he won his team the final. He played a very important knock in the final as well. Kane Williamson is also the captain of this team," Chopra further asserted.

For the middle-order, Chopra named Fawad Alam, Pant, Ashwin and Axar. "My team has Fawad Alam. It is a story of persistence, that he will keep on playing whether you select him or not. He has made runs, the noticeable performances being 109 against South Africa, 140 against Zimbabwe and 124 against West Indies. The keeper is Rishabh Pant. I was thinking about Jos Buttler as well but no one was close to him. The sort of performances Rishabh Pant has given - 101 against England, 89 at Gabba and a ninety in Sydney as well. He has been very very good."

"After that, I am picking two Indians (including Axar). Ravichandran Ashwin - he has taken a lot of wickets. He was brilliant in India against England. He made a century against England as well. He is the no.1 spinner in Test cricket, there is no doubt about it."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-ruled-out-of-upcoming-test-series-against-south-africa-priyank-panchal-named-replacement-436590">Rohit Sharma ruled out of upcoming Test series against South Africa, Priyank Panchal named replacement</a>

For the rest of the line-up, Chopra shared his picks and said, "I have picked two fast bowlers apart from Jamieson. Jimmy Anderson - he took 32 wickets this year. He did well in India, took a five-wicket haul in Sri Lanka and did well against India again at home. Last but not the least, I have got Shaheen Afridi. His performances this year have been very good. He was also taking five-wicket hauls like Axar. It will also give a left-armer, he is tall, pitches the ball up and makes it swing," he concluded.

Aakash Chopra's Test XI of the year: Rohit Sharma, Dimuth Karunaratne, Joe Root, Kane Williamson (c), Fawad Alam, Rishabh Pant, Kyle Jamieson, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, James Anderson, Shaheen Afridi

The year 2021 was filled with plenty of cricketing action. The calendar year saw the inaugural ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final being held, where Kane Williamson-led New Zealand won the title.

The year 2021 was filled with plenty of cricketing action. The calendar year saw the inaugural ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final being held, where Kane Williamson-led New Zealand won the title. Apart from that, there were plenty of action and drama which came from the purest format, in the form of India-England Tests (both men's and women's), India vs Australia Tests (both in men's and women's), Pakistan-Bangladesh series, Sri Lanka-West Indies series, etc. With the year coming to an end, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra picked his Test team of 2021. Chopra's team included some star-studded names and comprises four Indians. However, Captain Virat Kohli found no mention in his line-up. For the unversed, Kohli didn't have a great year with the bat. While he led India with aplomb in the England series (both home and away) and a series win over New Zealand at home, he failed to cross the triple-figure mark and amassed only 483 runs, with four fifties, at 28.41. Hence, Chopra's list included Rohit Sharma (India's highest run-getter in 2021), Rishabh Pant, R Ashwin and Axar Patel. Rohit compiled 906 runs, at 47.68, and is the second-highest run-getter overall. Ashwin leads the list of most wickets in Tests in the calendar year (52 scalps) whereas Axar accounted for 36 wickets (fourth overall). Pant, on the other hand, scored 706 runs with five fifties and one hundred (second-most by an Indian) and also showed vast improvement a a keeper. Both Pant and Ashwin have a chance to better their numbers in India's only Test remaining in 2021; i.e. the South Africa Test series opener in Centurion on December 26. Meanwhile, Rohit and Axar have been ruled out of action due to injury concerns. ALSO READ | Virat Kohli's post for MS Dhoni during IPL 14 adjudged most liked and retweeted tweet for sports in 2021 Speaking about the top-order, Chopra's XI comprised Rohit, Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne, Joe Root and NZ's skipper Williamson. He said in a video on his YouTube channel, "The first name coming to my mind is Rohit Sharma. It was a huge year for him, it was the year in which he fell in love with the longest format. He played amazing knocks, whether it was the century in Chennai and the consistent performances in England. My second opener is Sri Lanka's Dimuth Karunaratne. He has also made runs which also includes a double century. He was playing well against West Indies also. He might not be too pleasing on the eye but scores runs.". "There was no contest at No.3. Joe Root is part of this team. He is the best Test batter of 2021, miles above the rest. He is just in a different league altogether. He gave amazing performances, whether it was the double century in India or Sri Lanka. At No.4, I have got Williamson. He scored a double century against Pakistan and he won his team the final. He played a very important knock in the final as well. Kane Williamson is also the captain of this team," Chopra further asserted. For the middle-order, Chopra named Fawad Alam, Pant, Ashwin and Axar. "My team has Fawad Alam. It is a story of persistence, that he will keep on playing whether you select him or not. He has made runs, the noticeable performances being 109 against South Africa, 140 against Zimbabwe and 124 against West Indies. The keeper is Rishabh Pant. I was thinking about Jos Buttler as well but no one was close to him. The sort of performances Rishabh Pant has given - 101 against England, 89 at Gabba and a ninety in Sydney as well. He has been very very good." "After that, I am picking two Indians (including Axar). Ravichandran Ashwin - he has taken a lot of wickets. He was brilliant in India against England. He made a century against England as well. He is the no.1 spinner in Test cricket, there is no doubt about it." ALSO READ | Rohit Sharma ruled out of upcoming Test series against South Africa, Priyank Panchal named replacement For the rest of the line-up, Chopra shared his picks and said, "I have picked two fast bowlers apart from Jamieson. Jimmy Anderson - he took 32 wickets this year. He did well in India, took a five-wicket haul in Sri Lanka and did well against India again at home. Last but not the least, I have got Shaheen Afridi. His performances this year have been very good. He was also taking five-wicket hauls like Axar. It will also give a left-armer, he is tall, pitches the ball up and makes it swing," he concluded. Aakash Chopra's Test XI of the year: Rohit Sharma, Dimuth Karunaratne, Joe Root, Kane Williamson (c), Fawad Alam, Rishabh Pant, Kyle Jamieson, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, James Anderson, Shaheen Afridi

Former Indian opener names Rohit Sharma-starrer Test XI of 2021, no room for Virat Kohli

Former England captain Michael Atherton has lashed out at the visitors after their poor show in the series-opener of the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 against Australia at The Gabba in Brisbane. England suffered a humiliating 9-wicket defeat in the first Test as Australia went 1-0 up in the series with a comprehensive win.

England were in a great position at stumps on Day 3 with 223/2 on the board, however, Joe Root &amp; Co. suffered a terrible collapse and were bundled out for just 297 runs. England managed to set up a target of a mere 20 runs for the hosts in their second innings which Australia chased down comfortably with nine wickets to spare to register a massive victory.

Captain Joe Root was once again the saviour for England in their second innings as he helped the team stage a fightback with a brilliant knock of 89 runs along with Dawid Malan (82), however, the duo's departure led to the English batting line-up crumbling under pressure. Atherton slammed England for being overreliant on Root.

"If you look at England in the last dozen Tests... they've become so reliant on Root. And if England are going to do well in Australia, you'd think he's going to have to have a productive series, but he needs others around him to support him as well,"&nbsp;Atherton wrote in his column for Sky Sports.

Atherton felt England were underprepared for the first Test against the Aussies and sympathised with the visitors reasoning that the current conditions due to COVID-19 have taken a toll on the team's preparations and performances on the pitch.

"Malan batted well ... but England's batting in both innings, other than that one partnership, was poor and that's going to cost them. They were completely under-prepared, and I have a lot of sympathy for them in this regard.

"There is the COVID pandemic which has necessitated the kind of schedule they had but then the torrential rains in Queensland just knocked out the minimal preparation they had been given or had given themselves," said Atherton, who led England in 54 Test matches.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/updated-world-test-championship-points-table-after-australia-beat-england-in-ashes-opener-at-the-gabba-436053">Updated WTC&nbsp;points table after Australia beat England in Ashes opener at The Gabba</a>

England will be looking to bounce back to winning ways when they lock horns with Australia in the second Test of Ashes 2021 that gets underway from Thursday (December 16). The second Test will be a pink-ball game which will be played at the Adelaide Oval.

 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Former England captain Michael Atherton has lashed out at the visitors after their poor show in the series-opener of the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 against Australia at The Gabba in Brisbane.

Former England captain Michael Atherton has lashed out at the visitors after their poor show in the series-opener of the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 against Australia at The Gabba in Brisbane. England suffered a humiliating 9-wicket defeat in the first Test as Australia went 1-0 up in the series with a comprehensive win. England were in a great position at stumps on Day 3 with 223/2 on the board, however, Joe Root & Co. suffered a terrible collapse and were bundled out for just 297 runs. England managed to set up a target of a mere 20 runs for the hosts in their second innings which Australia chased down comfortably with nine wickets to spare to register a massive victory. Captain Joe Root was once again the saviour for England in their second innings as he helped the team stage a fightback with a brilliant knock of 89 runs along with Dawid Malan (82), however, the duo's departure led to the English batting line-up crumbling under pressure. Atherton slammed England for being overreliant on Root. "If you look at England in the last dozen Tests... they've become so reliant on Root. And if England are going to do well in Australia, you'd think he's going to have to have a productive series, but he needs others around him to support him as well," Atherton wrote in his column for Sky Sports. Atherton felt England were underprepared for the first Test against the Aussies and sympathised with the visitors reasoning that the current conditions due to COVID-19 have taken a toll on the team's preparations and performances on the pitch. "Malan batted well ... but England's batting in both innings, other than that one partnership, was poor and that's going to cost them. They were completely under-prepared, and I have a lot of sympathy for them in this regard. "There is the COVID pandemic which has necessitated the kind of schedule they had but then the torrential rains in Queensland just knocked out the minimal preparation they had been given or had given themselves," said Atherton, who led England in 54 Test matches. Also Read: Updated WTC points table after Australia beat England in Ashes opener at The Gabba England will be looking to bounce back to winning ways when they lock horns with Australia in the second Test of Ashes 2021 that gets underway from Thursday (December 16). The second Test will be a pink-ball game which will be played at the Adelaide Oval.

'They have become so reliant on Joe Root': Michael Atherton slams England after Gabba defeat in Ashes 2021

On day three of the ongoing first Ashes Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Friday, Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin expressed excitement as Joe Root and Dawid Malan helped England stage a&nbsp;comeback. Despite being bowled out for 147 in the first innings, England's skipper Root and Malan kept the visitors' ship afloat on Friday, despite early blows on the second day.

Ashwin believes that if&nbsp;England performs&nbsp;well in the first session on Saturday, the fifth and final day of the Test will be the most exciting on Sunday.

"It's all happening at the Gabba and could well be the most happening 5th day if England can trump the first session tomorrow," Ashwin tweeted.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It’s all happening at the Gabba and could well be the most happening 5th day if England can trump the first session tomorrow. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ashes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ashes</a>
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashwinravi99/status/1469215081166635009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Earlier, Ashwin has praised Pat Cummins stupendous bowling in the first innings and the fact that he is a bowling caption.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-joe-root-dawid-malans-159-run-stand-helps-england-fightback-on-day-3-of-1st-test-435771">Ashes: Joe Root, Dawid Malan's 159-run stand helps England fightback on Day 3 of 1st Test</a>

"A bowling captain has picked up a 5 for on captaincy debut! Well done @patcummins30", he has tweeted.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A bowling captain has picked up a 5 for on captaincy debut! Well done <a href="https://twitter.com/patcummins30?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@patcummins30</a> 👏👏👏✅ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ashes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ashes</a>
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashwinravi99/status/1468440600735272965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Furthermore, Root broke former captain Michael Vaughan's record on Friday by scoring the most runs in the longest version of the game by an English batter in a calendar year. The England skipper got a duck in the first innings but scored a brilliant fifty in the second to overcome Vaughan.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-1st-test-2nd-day-travis-head-slams-quickfire-112-to-put-australia-in-control-over-england-435413">Ashes, 1st Test 2nd day: Travis Head slams quickfire 112* to put Australia in control over England</a>

Vaughan set a record of 1481 runs in 2002, and Root came close to breaking it in 2018 when he hit 1477 runs.

The England skipper eventually overtook Vaughan with a brilliant half-century in the first Test on Friday. England's score at the Stumps was 220/2, down by 58 runs. Malan and Root both batted unbeaten for 80 and 86 runs, respectively.

On day three of the ongoing first Ashes Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Friday, Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin expressed excitement as Joe Root and Dawid Malan helped England stage a comeback.

On day three of the ongoing first Ashes Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Friday, Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin expressed excitement as Joe Root and Dawid Malan helped England stage a comeback. Despite being bowled out for 147 in the first innings, England's skipper Root and Malan kept the visitors' ship afloat on Friday, despite early blows on the second day. Ashwin believes that if England performs well in the first session on Saturday, the fifth and final day of the Test will be the most exciting on Sunday. "It's all happening at the Gabba and could well be the most happening 5th day if England can trump the first session tomorrow," Ashwin tweeted. It’s all happening at the Gabba and could well be the most happening 5th day if England can trump the first session tomorrow. #ashes — Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) December 10, 2021 × Earlier, Ashwin has praised Pat Cummins stupendous bowling in the first innings and the fact that he is a bowling caption. ALSO READ: Ashes: Joe Root, Dawid Malan's 159-run stand helps England fightback on Day 3 of 1st Test "A bowling captain has picked up a 5 for on captaincy debut! Well done @patcummins30", he has tweeted. A bowling captain has picked up a 5 for on captaincy debut! Well done @patcummins30 👏👏👏✅ #Ashes — Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) December 8, 2021 × Furthermore, Root broke former captain Michael Vaughan's record on Friday by scoring the most runs in the longest version of the game by an English batter in a calendar year. The England skipper got a duck in the first innings but scored a brilliant fifty in the second to overcome Vaughan. ALSO READ: Ashes, 1st Test 2nd day: Travis Head slams quickfire 112* to put Australia in control over England Vaughan set a record of 1481 runs in 2002, and Root came close to breaking it in 2018 when he hit 1477 runs. The England skipper eventually overtook Vaughan with a brilliant half-century in the first Test on Friday. England's score at the Stumps was 220/2, down by 58 runs. Malan and Root both batted unbeaten for 80 and 86 runs, respectively.

Ashes 2021: Day five can be most happening, says Ashwin after Root, Malan lead England comeback

England captain Joe Root has been enjoying stellar form with the willow in Tests so far this year. He is the highest run-getter in the longest format as far as 2021 is concerned and is now closing in on the records of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar after a brilliant knock of unbeaten 86 in England's second innings of the ongoing 1st Ashes Test against Australia at The Gabba in Brisbane.

After being dismissed on a duck in the first innings, Root bounced back with a superb knock under pressure in his side's second innings to help England fight back in the game. Root scored 86 runs off 158 balls with the help of ten fours and added a crucial unbeaten stand of 159 runs with Dawid Malan (80) to help the visitors end Day 3 on 220/2, trailing the Aussies by 58 runs.

With his unbeaten 86, Root surpassed former England captain Michael Vaughan to bag the record for most runs by an English batter in a calendar year in Test cricket. Root has now taken his tally to 1541 runs in Test matches this year and is on the verge of breaking the records of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar.

Joe Root closes in on Sachin, Gavaskar's record:

Root is currently placed eighth on the all-time list of batters with most Test runs in a calendar year. The list is topped by Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf, who notched up a stunning 1788 runs in just 11 Test matches in 2006. Yousuf is followed by West Indies legend Viv Richards (1710 runs in 1976) and former South Africa captain Graeme Smith (1656 runs in 2008) at the second and the third spot respectively.

Root is just four runs away from overtaking former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who scored 1544 runs in Test matches in 2005. Root can also break the records of Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar, who are placed fifth and sixth respectively with 1555 and 1562 runs in a calendar year.

Most runs in a calendar year&nbsp;

1) Mohammad Yousuf (PAK) - 1788&nbsp;runs in 2006&nbsp; 
2) Vivian&nbsp;Richards (WI) - 1710 runs in 1976 
3) Graeme&nbsp;Smith (SA) - 1656 runs in 2008 
4) Michael&nbsp;Clarke (AUS)&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;- 1595 runs in 2012 
5) Sachin Tendulkar (INDIA) - 1562&nbsp; runs in 2010&nbsp;&nbsp; 
6) Sunil&nbsp;Gavaskar (INDIA)- 1555&nbsp; runs in 1979 
7) Ricky&nbsp;Ponting (AUS) - 1544 runs in 2005 
8) Joe&nbsp;Root (ENG) - 1541 runs in 2021

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-joe-root-dawid-malans-159-run-stand-helps-england-fightback-on-day-3-of-1st-test-435771">Ashes: Joe Root, Dawid Malan's 159-run stand helps England fightback on Day 3 of 1st Test</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

Root has been in sensational form in the whites for England this year. He has two double hundreds, six centuries and two fifties to his name so far in the year 2021 and is just 22 runs away from overtaking both Gavaskar and Sachin to take the 4th spot on the elite list of batters with most runs in a calendar year.

&nbsp;

England captain Joe Root has been enjoying stellar form with the willow in Tests so far this year. He is the highest run-getter in the longest format as far as 2021 is concerned and is now closing in on the records of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar after a brilliant knock of unbeaten 86 in England's second innings of the ongoing 1st Ashes Test against Australia at The Gabba in Brisbane.

England captain Joe Root has been enjoying stellar form with the willow in Tests so far this year. He is the highest run-getter in the longest format as far as 2021 is concerned and is now closing in on the records of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar after a brilliant knock of unbeaten 86 in England's second innings of the ongoing 1st Ashes Test against Australia at The Gabba in Brisbane. After being dismissed on a duck in the first innings, Root bounced back with a superb knock under pressure in his side's second innings to help England fight back in the game. Root scored 86 runs off 158 balls with the help of ten fours and added a crucial unbeaten stand of 159 runs with Dawid Malan (80) to help the visitors end Day 3 on 220/2, trailing the Aussies by 58 runs. With his unbeaten 86, Root surpassed former England captain Michael Vaughan to bag the record for most runs by an English batter in a calendar year in Test cricket. Root has now taken his tally to 1541 runs in Test matches this year and is on the verge of breaking the records of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar. Joe Root closes in on Sachin, Gavaskar's record: Root is currently placed eighth on the all-time list of batters with most Test runs in a calendar year. The list is topped by Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf, who notched up a stunning 1788 runs in just 11 Test matches in 2006. Yousuf is followed by West Indies legend Viv Richards (1710 runs in 1976) and former South Africa captain Graeme Smith (1656 runs in 2008) at the second and the third spot respectively. Root is just four runs away from overtaking former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who scored 1544 runs in Test matches in 2005. Root can also break the records of Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar, who are placed fifth and sixth respectively with 1555 and 1562 runs in a calendar year. Most runs in a calendar year 1) Mohammad Yousuf (PAK) - 1788 runs in 2006 2) Vivian Richards (WI) - 1710 runs in 1976 3) Graeme Smith (SA) - 1656 runs in 2008 4) Michael Clarke (AUS) - 1595 runs in 2012 5) Sachin Tendulkar (INDIA) - 1562 runs in 2010 6) Sunil Gavaskar (INDIA)- 1555 runs in 1979 7) Ricky Ponting (AUS) - 1544 runs in 2005 8) Joe Root (ENG) - 1541 runs in 2021 Also Read: Ashes: Joe Root, Dawid Malan's 159-run stand helps England fightback on Day 3 of 1st Test Root has been in sensational form in the whites for England this year. He has two double hundreds, six centuries and two fifties to his name so far in the year 2021 and is just 22 runs away from overtaking both Gavaskar and Sachin to take the 4th spot on the elite list of batters with most runs in a calendar year.

Joe Root on verge of breaking Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar's record in Ashes opener against Australia

Dawid Malan and Joe Root's spirited fightback helped England close day three of first Ashes Test at The Gabba on a high as the tourists reached 220/2 at stumps, trailing by 58 runs. 
 
The 159-run partnership between Malan (80 not out) and Root (86 not out) has set the scene for an intriguing day four with eight wickets in hand. It was the day where England finally managed to claw their way back into the match after Australia took a lead of 278 runs. 
 
The tourists were 61/2 after 21 overs when Root joined Malan in the middle. Australia skipper Pat Cummins had taken the first wicket, with Rory Burns trying to cut but the short ball took the glove edge behind to keeper Alex Carey. Haseeb Hameed looked set for a big score before getting strangled down leg off Mitchell Starc in the 21st over.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-2021-england-all-rounder-ben-stokes-suffers-knee-injury-medical-staff-to-assess-him-overnight-435601">Ashes 2021: England all-rounder Ben Stokes suffers knee injury, medical staff to assess him overnight</a> 
 
From that point, the fightback began with Root and Malan adding 46 runs off 90 balls till tea came. Malan was tentative in the beginning and Root took 20 balls to hit his first boundary of the innings, a clip through mid-wicket off Josh Hazlewood.

Though the duo had their own shares of luck and survival, especially for Malan against off-spinner Nathan Lyon, the duo turned the tide in the final session, playing with fluency and positivity as pitch started to become very good for some scintillating strokeplay. 
 
The partnership grew in confidence and runs as England made 113 runs in the final session but did not lose a single wicket. Add to it, Root went past former skipper Michael Vaughan for most Test runs by an England player in a calender year. 
 
Starc, Cummins (with his short-ball plan) and Lyon along with other bowling options in Cameron Green and Marnus Labuschagne weren't able to trouble Malan and Root much. But now it seems that the second new ball could provide Australia with much-needed breakthrough and could begin with Hazlewood, who was given just eight overs in the final session.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-1st-test-2nd-day-travis-head-slams-quickfire-112-to-put-australia-in-control-over-england-435413">Ashes, 1st Test 2nd day: Travis Head slams quickfire 112* to put Australia in control over England</a> 
 
Earlier, Travis Head, resuming from his overnight score of 112, started off in his aggressive fashion on day three with a pull through square leg off Chris Woakes. Starc gave him good company by smashing boundaries against Woakes, Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood.

Though Starc fell to Woakes, Head was unperturbed as he slammed a six each off Stokes and Wood over mid-off and fine leg respectively, before slog-sweeping Jack Leach through wide of mid-wicket to bring up his 150. 
 
Head was eventually bowled for 152 off 148 balls by a cracking yorker from Wood, becoming the last wicket to fall as Australia were 425 all out in 104.3 overs. Head's stands with Starc (85 runs) and Lyon (29 runs) were crucial for the hosts in stretching their lead to 278 runs, something which may not turn out to be enough if Root and Malan's association continues on Saturday. 
 
Brief scores: England 147 &amp; 220/2 in 70 overs (Joe Root 86 not out, Dawid Malan 80 not out, Pat Cummins 1/43, Mitchell Starc 1/60) trail Australia 425 in 104.3 overs (Travis Head 152, David Warner 94, Ollie Robinson 3/58, Mark Wood 3/85) by 58 runs.

Dawid Malan and Joe Root's spirited fightback helped England close day three of first Ashes Test at The Gabba on a high as the tourists reached 220/2 at stumps, trailing by 58 runs.

Dawid Malan and Joe Root's spirited fightback helped England close day three of first Ashes Test at The Gabba on a high as the tourists reached 220/2 at stumps, trailing by 58 runs. The 159-run partnership between Malan (80 not out) and Root (86 not out) has set the scene for an intriguing day four with eight wickets in hand. It was the day where England finally managed to claw their way back into the match after Australia took a lead of 278 runs. The tourists were 61/2 after 21 overs when Root joined Malan in the middle. Australia skipper Pat Cummins had taken the first wicket, with Rory Burns trying to cut but the short ball took the glove edge behind to keeper Alex Carey. Haseeb Hameed looked set for a big score before getting strangled down leg off Mitchell Starc in the 21st over. ALSO READ: Ashes 2021: England all-rounder Ben Stokes suffers knee injury, medical staff to assess him overnight From that point, the fightback began with Root and Malan adding 46 runs off 90 balls till tea came. Malan was tentative in the beginning and Root took 20 balls to hit his first boundary of the innings, a clip through mid-wicket off Josh Hazlewood. Though the duo had their own shares of luck and survival, especially for Malan against off-spinner Nathan Lyon, the duo turned the tide in the final session, playing with fluency and positivity as pitch started to become very good for some scintillating strokeplay. The partnership grew in confidence and runs as England made 113 runs in the final session but did not lose a single wicket. Add to it, Root went past former skipper Michael Vaughan for most Test runs by an England player in a calender year. Starc, Cummins (with his short-ball plan) and Lyon along with other bowling options in Cameron Green and Marnus Labuschagne weren't able to trouble Malan and Root much. But now it seems that the second new ball could provide Australia with much-needed breakthrough and could begin with Hazlewood, who was given just eight overs in the final session. ALSO READ: Ashes, 1st Test 2nd day: Travis Head slams quickfire 112* to put Australia in control over England Earlier, Travis Head, resuming from his overnight score of 112, started off in his aggressive fashion on day three with a pull through square leg off Chris Woakes. Starc gave him good company by smashing boundaries against Woakes, Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood. Though Starc fell to Woakes, Head was unperturbed as he slammed a six each off Stokes and Wood over mid-off and fine leg respectively, before slog-sweeping Jack Leach through wide of mid-wicket to bring up his 150. Head was eventually bowled for 152 off 148 balls by a cracking yorker from Wood, becoming the last wicket to fall as Australia were 425 all out in 104.3 overs. Head's stands with Starc (85 runs) and Lyon (29 runs) were crucial for the hosts in stretching their lead to 278 runs, something which may not turn out to be enough if Root and Malan's association continues on Saturday. Brief scores: England 147 & 220/2 in 70 overs (Joe Root 86 not out, Dawid Malan 80 not out, Pat Cummins 1/43, Mitchell Starc 1/60) trail Australia 425 in 104.3 overs (Travis Head 152, David Warner 94, Ollie Robinson 3/58, Mark Wood 3/85) by 58 runs.

Ashes: Joe Root, Dawid Malan's 159-run stand helps England fightback on Day 3 of 1st Test

The Ashes 2021/22 edition finally kicked off on Wednesday (December 8) at The Gabba, Brisbane. Pat Cummins-led Australia made an emphatic start to the series as they bundled out Joe Root's England for a paltry 146 in the first innings on a rain-marred opening day after the visitors elected to bat first.

Mitchell Starc struck on the very first ball of the contest to get rid of English opener Rory Burns and the visitors never recovered from thereon. Newly-appointed Test captain Pat Cummins returned with 5 for 38 in 13.1 overs, dismissing Haseeb Hameed, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes and the likes, as England folded for 146 in 50.1 overs. While rain break didn't lead to the Aussies coming out to bat, England have a huge task in hand to bounce back in the series opener.&nbsp;

Former Aussie cricketer-turned-commentator Ian Chappell, thus, slammed Root after England's flop show on Day 1 of Ashes 2021/22.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/starc-adds-his-name-to-elite-list-with-first-ball-dismissal-of-rory-burns-in-ashes-2021-opener-watch-435085">Starc adds his name to elite list with first-ball dismissal of Rory Burns in Ashes 2021 opener - Watch</a>

Talking to&nbsp;SportsDay, Chappell said, "I think he’s (Root) a very good batsman but he’s not much of a captain. He doesn’t have a great imagination and I think that’s important in Australia."

On the other hand, he asserted, "Pat Cummins will be a good captain, I think it will take him a while to get into the job but I think by the end of the series, I think Pat will be miles in front of Joe (Root) as a captain and if that’s the case, Australia will win pretty comfortably," said Chappell.&nbsp;

He added, "I think Stokes would be a good captain. Aggressive players don’t always make good captains but I think Stokes has a lot going for him. He has a great cricket brain, he’s a great batsman and bowler and don’t underestimate his fielding. I think he would be a good captain and Joe Root would do well to listen to him."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-2021-pat-cummins-shines-on-captaincy-debut-breaks-plethora-of-records-with-five-fer-vs-england-435020">Ashes 2021: Pat Cummins shines on captaincy debut, breaks plethora of records with five-fer vs England</a>

Root took over as England's captain in mid-2017. While he has had good success as a leader in the purest format, his captaincy skills will be under the read throughout Ashes 2021/22 edition Down Under. During England's last Test series on Aussie soil, Root &amp; Co. had lost 4-0, hence, the pressure is on the English skipper to turn the tides for his national side in this Aussie summer.

The Ashes 2021/22 edition finally kicked off on Wednesday (December 8) at The Gabba, Brisbane. Pat Cummins-led Australia made an emphatic start to the series as they bundled out Joe Root's England for a paltry 146 in the first innings on a rain-marred opening day after the visitors elected to bat first.

The Ashes 2021/22 edition finally kicked off on Wednesday (December 8) at The Gabba, Brisbane. Pat Cummins-led Australia made an emphatic start to the series as they bundled out Joe Root's England for a paltry 146 in the first innings on a rain-marred opening day after the visitors elected to bat first. Mitchell Starc struck on the very first ball of the contest to get rid of English opener Rory Burns and the visitors never recovered from thereon. Newly-appointed Test captain Pat Cummins returned with 5 for 38 in 13.1 overs, dismissing Haseeb Hameed, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes and the likes, as England folded for 146 in 50.1 overs. While rain break didn't lead to the Aussies coming out to bat, England have a huge task in hand to bounce back in the series opener. Former Aussie cricketer-turned-commentator Ian Chappell, thus, slammed Root after England's flop show on Day 1 of Ashes 2021/22. ALSO READ | Starc adds his name to elite list with first-ball dismissal of Rory Burns in Ashes 2021 opener - Watch Talking to SportsDay, Chappell said, "I think he’s (Root) a very good batsman but he’s not much of a captain. He doesn’t have a great imagination and I think that’s important in Australia." On the other hand, he asserted, "Pat Cummins will be a good captain, I think it will take him a while to get into the job but I think by the end of the series, I think Pat will be miles in front of Joe (Root) as a captain and if that’s the case, Australia will win pretty comfortably," said Chappell. He added, "I think Stokes would be a good captain. Aggressive players don’t always make good captains but I think Stokes has a lot going for him. He has a great cricket brain, he’s a great batsman and bowler and don’t underestimate his fielding. I think he would be a good captain and Joe Root would do well to listen to him." ALSO READ | Ashes 2021: Pat Cummins shines on captaincy debut, breaks plethora of records with five-fer vs England Root took over as England's captain in mid-2017. While he has had good success as a leader in the purest format, his captaincy skills will be under the read throughout Ashes 2021/22 edition Down Under. During England's last Test series on Aussie soil, Root & Co. had lost 4-0, hence, the pressure is on the English skipper to turn the tides for his national side in this Aussie summer.

'He’s not much of a captain' - Chappell slams Joe Root after England's flop show on Day 1 of Ashes 2021 opener

After a long wait, the Ashes 2021/22 finally got off to a start on Wednesday (December 8) at The Gabba, Brisbane. The series was off to a dream start for the Pat Cummins-led hosts as Mitchell Starc got rid of England opener Rory Burns on the first ball of the series.

Starc cleaned up Burns' stumps on the first ball itself as the ball got some late movement and went around the batter's pads to hit the timber. Here's the dismissal which lit up the atmosphere at The Gabba, Brisbane:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WHAT A WAY TO START THE <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ASHES?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ASHES</a>! <a href="https://t.co/XtaiJ3SKeV">pic.twitter.com/XtaiJ3SKeV</a>
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1468372989993381889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-2021-england-on-back-foot-after-being-bowled-out-for-147-in-horror-start-at-the-gabba-435067">Ashes 2021: England on back foot after being bowled out for 147 in horror start at The Gabba</a>

For the unversed, this became only the second occasion when a wicket fell on the very first delivery of an Ashes series. On December 4 in 1936, England's Stan Worthington was dismissed by Australia's Ernie McCormick on the first ball of Ashes 1936/37. After 82 years, Starc recreated the feat. It is interesting to note that on both occasions the Ashes edition has taken place Down Under (i.e., in Aussies' backyard).

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-2021-pat-cummins-shines-on-captaincy-debut-breaks-plethora-of-records-with-five-fer-vs-england-435020">Ashes 2021: Pat Cummins shines on captaincy debut, breaks plethora of records with five-fer vs England</a>

Talking about Day 1, Cummins led from the front as his 5 for 38,&nbsp;on captaincy debut, rattled England for 146 after Joe Root &amp; Co. decided to bat first in a rain-marred day. The Aussies will come out to bat on the second day and hope to take a mammoth lead over the clueless visitors.

After a long wait, the Ashes 2021/22 finally got off to a start on Wednesday (December 8) at The Gabba, Brisbane. The series was off to a dream start for the Pat Cummins-led hosts as Mitchell Starc got rid of England opener Rory Burns on the first ball of the series.

After a long wait, the Ashes 2021/22 finally got off to a start on Wednesday (December 8) at The Gabba, Brisbane. The series was off to a dream start for the Pat Cummins-led hosts as Mitchell Starc got rid of England opener Rory Burns on the first ball of the series. Starc cleaned up Burns' stumps on the first ball itself as the ball got some late movement and went around the batter's pads to hit the timber. Here's the dismissal which lit up the atmosphere at The Gabba, Brisbane: WHAT A WAY TO START THE #ASHES! pic.twitter.com/XtaiJ3SKeV — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 8, 2021 × ALSO READ | Ashes 2021: England on back foot after being bowled out for 147 in horror start at The Gabba For the unversed, this became only the second occasion when a wicket fell on the very first delivery of an Ashes series. On December 4 in 1936, England's Stan Worthington was dismissed by Australia's Ernie McCormick on the first ball of Ashes 1936/37. After 82 years, Starc recreated the feat. It is interesting to note that on both occasions the Ashes edition has taken place Down Under (i.e., in Aussies' backyard). ALSO READ | Ashes 2021: Pat Cummins shines on captaincy debut, breaks plethora of records with five-fer vs England Talking about Day 1, Cummins led from the front as his 5 for 38, on captaincy debut, rattled England for 146 after Joe Root & Co. decided to bat first in a rain-marred day. The Aussies will come out to bat on the second day and hope to take a mammoth lead over the clueless visitors.

Starc adds his name to elite list with first-ball dismissal of Rory Burns in Ashes 2021 opener - Watch

After Tim Paine's untimely resignation as Australia's Test captain, in the aftermath of the sexting scandal, Pat Cummins was appointed as his successor ahead of Ashes 2021/22. Not often do we see fast bowlers being appointed as the captain, purely because it adds to their workload, however, the No. 1 Test bowler Cummins exceeded expectations on his first day as captain with a five-fer in the first Ashes Test at The Gabba, Brisbane on Wednesday (December 8).

Opting to bat first, the Joe Root-led England were off to a disastrous start with Rory Burns clean bowled by Mitchell Starc on the first ball itself. Cummins then dismissed the likes of Haseeb Hameed (25), Ben Stokes (5), Chris Woakes (21), Ollie Robinson (0) and Mark Wood (8) to put his team on top. He returned with 5 for 38 in 13.1 over as England were bowled out for 147 runs in the first innings. Rain interruption, however, led to an early stump on Day 1 without Aussies coming out to bat.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-2021-22-full-schedule-squads-venues-telecast-live-streaming-as-aus-eng-resume-intense-rivalry-434803">Ashes 2021-22: Full schedule, squads, venues, telecast, live streaming as Aus-Eng resume intense rivalry</a>

Here's a look at some of the records broken by Cummins on debut as Aussie Test captain:

With a dream start, Cummins became only the second Australian captain, after George Giffen in 1984, to pick a 5-wicket haul in the first Test as skipper.&nbsp;

In addition, the right-arm pacer joined an elite list of captains, featuring legendary Pakistani skipper Imran Khan, to have claimed a five-wicket haul on his first day as captain. For the unversed, the likes of Charles Aubrey Smith,&nbsp;George Allen and Khan are the first three cricketers to achieve the landmark.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Bowlers to take a 5-for on 1st day as Test captain: 
5-19 CA Smith Eng v SA Port Elizabeth 1889 
5-35 GOB Allen Eng v Ind Lord's 1936 
7-52 Imran Khan Pak v Eng Birmingham 1982 
5-38 PJ Cummins Aus v Eng Brisbane 2021
— Andrew Samson (@AWSStats) <a href="https://twitter.com/AWSStats/status/1468442300871286785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ben-stokes-remembers-late-father-ahead-of-ashes-opener-you-will-be-with-me-this-whole-week-434931">Ben Stokes remembers late father ahead of Ashes opener: You will be with me this whole week</a>

With England firmly on the back foot, they will need a herculean effort from their bowlers, sans James Anderson and Stuart Broad, to comeback in the first Test. Australia, on the other hand, will look to weather the storm in the first session on Day 2 and then try to go past England's first-innings score in a flash.&nbsp;

With a splendid effort on the opening day, Cummins will hope to lead his side to a big win in his first Test as captain during the Ashes 2021 opener.

After Tim Paine's untimely resignation as Australia's Test captain, in the aftermath of the sexting scandal, Pat Cummins was appointed as his successor ahead of Ashes 2021/22.

After Tim Paine's untimely resignation as Australia's Test captain, in the aftermath of the sexting scandal, Pat Cummins was appointed as his successor ahead of Ashes 2021/22. Not often do we see fast bowlers being appointed as the captain, purely because it adds to their workload, however, the No. 1 Test bowler Cummins exceeded expectations on his first day as captain with a five-fer in the first Ashes Test at The Gabba, Brisbane on Wednesday (December 8). Opting to bat first, the Joe Root-led England were off to a disastrous start with Rory Burns clean bowled by Mitchell Starc on the first ball itself. Cummins then dismissed the likes of Haseeb Hameed (25), Ben Stokes (5), Chris Woakes (21), Ollie Robinson (0) and Mark Wood (8) to put his team on top. He returned with 5 for 38 in 13.1 over as England were bowled out for 147 runs in the first innings. Rain interruption, however, led to an early stump on Day 1 without Aussies coming out to bat. ALSO READ | Ashes 2021-22: Full schedule, squads, venues, telecast, live streaming as Aus-Eng resume intense rivalry Here's a look at some of the records broken by Cummins on debut as Aussie Test captain: With a dream start, Cummins became only the second Australian captain, after George Giffen in 1984, to pick a 5-wicket haul in the first Test as skipper. In addition, the right-arm pacer joined an elite list of captains, featuring legendary Pakistani skipper Imran Khan, to have claimed a five-wicket haul on his first day as captain. For the unversed, the likes of Charles Aubrey Smith, George Allen and Khan are the first three cricketers to achieve the landmark. Bowlers to take a 5-for on 1st day as Test captain: 5-19 CA Smith Eng v SA Port Elizabeth 1889 5-35 GOB Allen Eng v Ind Lord's 1936 7-52 Imran Khan Pak v Eng Birmingham 1982 5-38 PJ Cummins Aus v Eng Brisbane 2021 — Andrew Samson (@AWSStats) December 8, 2021 × ALSO READ | Ben Stokes remembers late father ahead of Ashes opener: You will be with me this whole week With England firmly on the back foot, they will need a herculean effort from their bowlers, sans James Anderson and Stuart Broad, to comeback in the first Test. Australia, on the other hand, will look to weather the storm in the first session on Day 2 and then try to go past England's first-innings score in a flash. With a splendid effort on the opening day, Cummins will hope to lead his side to a big win in his first Test as captain during the Ashes 2021 opener.

Ashes 2021: Pat Cummins shines on captaincy debut, breaks plethora of records with five-fer vs England

joe-root

Joe Root, News on Joe Root, stories on Joe Root, articles on Joe Root, Joe Root stories at Wion, Joe Root news, Joe Root latest news

joe root