The Ashes series between England and Australia is one of the most storied rivalries in all of sports. However, in recent years, playing the Baggy Greens on their home turf has always been a daunting task for the tourists, with the fierce Aussie conditions and raucous home supporters creating an intimidating atmosphere. And one just needs to look at recent tours of the Land Down Under to see how badly England has struggled.
the tourists have been soundly defeated in the last three Ashes series on Australian soil, and they have done so by a combined score of 13-0. It has been 13 years since they managed to pick up a test match victory over enemy territory and the Aussies have clung on to the Urn since 2018. This winter, the two sides will clash one more and the bookies expect it to be a much closer contest than in years gone by.
The latest online sports betting odds make the hosts a -165 favorite, with the visitors being a live +250 underdog. However, they will have to improve no end to ensure that they aren’t embarrassed once again. Here are the last three times in which Englaand managed to avoid defeat in the Land Down Under, hopefully providing plenty of optimism for Ben Stokes and Co. ahead of the mouthwatering clash later this year.
2021–22 4th Test
The 2021–22 Ashes series was a tough ordeal for England, as they faced a dominant Australian side. The hosts retained the urn at a canter, winning the first three test matches in dominant fashion They lost by nine wickets in the first clash at the Gabba, 275 runs in the second in Adelaide and by an innings in at the MCG. They couldn’t manage over 300 runs in any of those contests and they headed to Sydney ready for yet another drubbing.
Australia declared their first innings at 416/8, riding high on Usman Khawaja’s splendid 137. The tourists responded with a weak-looking 294, with Jonny Bairstow’s resilient century the only saving grace amidst a flurry of wickets. The weather, however, came to England’s aid, with the first day rained off meaning that they had much fewer overs to survive. The hosts plundered another 265 in their second innings with Khawaja bagging another century before declaring.
England then knew that they needed to survive the final day to avoid another defeat. Zak Crawley set the tone with a solid 77, but the collapse duly followed. In the middle order, the heroics of Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow anchored the innings and provided staunch defence but they were both dismissed with plenty of time remaining. In the end, it was Jack Leach and Stuart Broad who held firm, ensuring England walked away with a hard-fought draw, finishing at 270/9 and salvaging some pride from an otherwise dreadful series.
2017-18 4th Test
Four years prior England found themselves in the same position. They had already surrendered the Urn with a whimper, losing the first three tests and aiming to avoid a second consecutive whitewash. Luckily for them, that came in the 4th Test at the MCG when the tourists finally showed some mettle.
Batting first, Australia posted a formidable 327, courtesy of David Warner’s 103. England, in response finally took the lead in a test by putting up a commanding 491, with captain Alastair Cook playing a masterful unbeaten 244, an innings characterized by his typical patience and beautiful stroke play on a difficult pitch. In their second innings, Australia managed 263/4 declared, setting England just 99 runs to win but with no time to score the required runs.
Rain ended play at 3 pm on day four and was unrepentant on day five, ensuring that the match finished as a draw. This was a contest that England could have won, but ultimately they had to settle for a draw and not end the series with yet another 5-0 defeat.
2010-11 Fifth Test
You have to go back to January 2011 for England’s last test match victory in Australia. Back then, the shoe was certainly on the other foot, and the tourists headed to the SCG with a 2-1 lead and with very real hopes of claiming the urn on Australian soil for the first time in 24 years. And ultimately, those dreams became a reality, and they did so in a dominant fashion.
The Aussies batted first but they were skittled for 280, with fast bowler Mitchell Johnson sparring their blushes with 53 runs at the bottom of the order. England then took over and was in imperious form. Opener Alistair Cook continued his phenomenal form with 189, taking his total in the series to a whopping 766, the fourth most of all time. He was supported by further centuries from Ian Bell and Matt Prior who hit 115 and 118 respectively en route to the visitors’ imposing 644.
England’s bowlers then took over and dismantled the hosts in the second innings. They ended up all out for 281, with Chris Tremlett and Graham Swann being the chief tormentors, ensuring that their side won by an innings and 83 runs and took the urn home. Can the new breed repeat the feat this winter?
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