One win in six Tests before an abrupt ending mean Joe Root’s side have more questions than answers as Australia tour loomsDuring the discussions that preceded the postponement of England’s one-day series in South Africa last December, Tom Harrison is said to have sent an email to Ashley Giles, with their South African counterparts still included on the chain, asking who exactly was running the tour.It transpired the answer to this pointed question from the chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board to his director of cricket – albeit one unlikely to have been tapped out in reply – was their players. Covid-19 had breached the team hotel and, with fears over what this could mean for onward...
The 2013-14 series left genuine scars in the England team, but there is still a chapter to play out against AustraliaIt seemed too easy at the time. Three weeks ago, Australia’s cricketers lost a Test for the first time in 33 years at the Gabba – deepest, dankest dungeon of the Australian sporting soul, and a kind of mental disintegration portal for meeker, less thrillingly chosen races. So yeah, they got beaten there by India’s B team. But at the end Justin Langer was out in the celebrations looking humble and magnanimous and weirdly invulnerable – all the while wearing that familiar alpha dog, kungfu, zen master smile, the look of a man who, to quote John Updike, has just...
Smith’s majesty, Archer’s mastery, the miracle of Headingley: our writers give their verdicts after an extraordinary Test seriesVic Marks There’s no room for smartarsery here. It has to be Steve Smith averaging 110 in a bowlers’ series. Without him Australia would surely have lost the Ashes. Related: Five steps England must take to regain the Ashes in 2020-21 | Rob Smyth Related: Weary Steve Smith is just for once unable to rise to the occasion | Geoff Lemon Related: Jonny Bairstow’s role in the middle order is key to England’s future | Barney Ronay Continue reading...
The Yorkshireman was excellent behind the stumps again but his batting position must be questionedIn the end a losing draw felt about right. England and Australia have finally left the building. Although at times during this fifth Test Australia seemed to have checked out some time early last week. Related: England win fifth Test to draw Ashes series but Australia keep urn Continue reading...
A scrapbook of cricket memories would include the miracle of Headingley and much, much moreThere has been some suggestion, when analysing the individual performances at the Oval Test, that certain players are looking tired from their long summer of international cricket. It is easy to empathise with them – it’s been an epic one for all of us. Some of England’s players will be rested during the T20 series in New Zealand and it is tempting to follow their lead. When else are we supposed to take stock of all we’ve seen? Related: There have been 2,358 Tests since 1877 and this was the greatest of them all | Matthew Engel Continue reading...