Australia must beat history to win Ashes series as Stuart Broad retires
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A fading Australia will need to create history for a most unlikely Test and series victory as Stuart Broad aims to go out on a high in the fifth and final Test after announcing his retirement at the Oval on Saturday.
England were 9/389 from 80 overs at stumps on day three with Broad unbeaten on two. They lead by 377, more than any team has scored batting last to win during 143 years of Test cricket at the famous south London ground, with two days to play.
England’s Mark Wood plays a ball bowled by Australia’s Todd Murphy and is caught out by Mitchell Marsh. Credit:
The leading wicket taker of any player in history against Australia with 151, Broad, 37, hopes England can level the series two all and add to his 602 wickets from 167 Tests.
“I feel really great,” Broad said about his decision to quit the game. “And I feel even better that we’ve had a brilliant day today. I was a bit nervous this morning thinking if we lose early wickets, you know, I could feel a bit devastated.
“But to see the guys play the way they did today, entertain the way they did. And I thought the atmosphere today was awesome, I felt, we felt so good. And put ourselves in a position that I wished we could be in to try and chase ten wickets for an Ashes Test match win.”
Broad’s joy was a contrast to a sombre Australia, who have fallen away badly during the second half of this series.
If there is one tiny consolation for the Australians it’s that no England player managed a century, and young spinner Todd Murphy (3/110) snared England’s two best batsmen. Murphy bowled top scorer Joe Root for 91 with a ball that turned and deceived skipper Ben Stokes (42) in the air to have him caught at mid-on.
The best run chase at the Oval was England’s 9/263 to scramble home by one wicket against Australia in 1902, and Australia’s most successful fourth innings at the ground was 5/242 when Paul Sheahan and Rod Marsh guided the visitors home to level the series 2-2.
Australia’s best chase in England is 3/404 at Headingley in 1948, when Arthur Morris made 182 and Don Bradman was unbeaten on 173. Next is the 8/282 Australia ran down at Edgbaston in the first Test of this series, thanks to an unbeaten 55-run partnership between captain Pat Cummins and the now invalided Nathan Lyon.
As the holder of the Ashes, Australia will retain them following the washout in Manchester, but England have played the better cricket for much of the time, particularly since Nathan Lyon went down during the second Test with a serious calf injury and was ruled out of the series.
Less than two months ago, Australia beat India at the Oval by 208 runs in the World Test championship final. Maybe six Tests in eight weeks, squeezed in as they are between the ever-expanding IPL and England’s hybrid Hundred, are beyond even primed and pampered modern-day professionals.
Third time’s a charm: Starc sends Bairstow on his way.Credit: Reuters
Poor in the field on the opening day of this Test, substandard with the bat on day two and now dreadful with the new ball on the third day with confusing fields, it was like Australia were continuing on from the fourth-Test Bazball mauling their bowlers received in Manchester before almost two days of rain forced a draw.
As strange as it may sound given the way Bazball has increasingly dominated this series once England started to drag more responsibility into their stroke play, Australia’s biggest problem has been their batting. There are numerous instances where Australia’s batsmen have made starts but failed to press on for match-winning scores.
David Warner is the worst offender with six scores over 20 but just one half century. If the 36-year-old is unable to produce something as spectacular as his Boxing Day Test double century, his one shining light during the past 18 months, then this Test is surely the end of the road.
England’s Joe Root put in a strong effort, posting 90 runs.Credit:
Steve Smith, who made 774 runs at 110 from four Tests in England during 2019, is currently averaging 35 in this series along with Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne.
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