England captain Ben Stokes was left "shellshocked" after he found himself on the other side of one of the greatest innings in Ashes history. Travis Head blasted 123 off 83 balls, featuring 16 fours and four sixes, as Australia thumped England by eight wickets in the opening Test at Optus Stadium in Perth.
Chasing a tricky 205 runs on a pitch where pacers dominated in last three innings, Head produced a knock for the ages as Australia chased down the target in just 28.2 overs. Marnus Labuschagne, who enjoyed the Head special from arguably the best seat in the house, returned unbeaten on 51 as Australia took an important 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series.
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The show was certainly disappointing and it was clearly felt in England's legendary cricketer Geoffrey Boycott's ruthless assessment. In his column for The Telegraph (England), the 85-year-old tore down both Stokes and Bazball.
“Before this series started Ben Stokes told the world that any ex-players who criticised England or had a different opinion were “has-beens” because Test cricket had changed and the past was irrelevant.
“Well, from this has-been the message is simple: when you keep throwing away Test matches by doing the same stupid things it is impossible to take you seriously. They never learn, because they never listen to anyone outside their own bubble, because they truly believe their own publicity,” Boycott wrote.
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England, who won the toss and opted to bat, were bundled out for 172 in just 32.5 overs on Day 1, when a total of 19 wickets fall. In the second essay, the innings was wrapped in 34.5 overs.
“Brainless batting and bowling lost England the match,” Boycott continued.
“A 40-run lead on a fast, bouncy, low-scoring pitch was huge and, with Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope together at one stage, England were in charge at effectively 100 for one. But as exciting as this England team can be, they are always only a blink of an eye away from self-destruction.
“Chasing balls away from your body on fast, bouncy pitches is fraught with danger. It’s like Russian roulette. Save those shots for low, slow surfaces where the odds are in a batsman’s favour.
“When the Aussies get stuck for a wicket all they have to do is go fishing. Dangle the bait and wait for a bite. Our lot can’t resist.
“Bazball, bad judgment, overconfidence, whatever the reason, it makes winning matches difficult. Against top teams like India and Australia it is a huge factor in losing.”
The second Test will start from December 4 at The Gabba in Brisbane.
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