Legend's scathing takedown amid England farce

2 years ago 366

Former Test skipper Ian Chappell has made a scathing appraisal of England's top-order stocks pursuing the visitors' dismal extremity to time two of the Boxing Day Test.

When asked for his views connected England's alarming plummet implicit the last hour, successful which Joe Root's men limped to stumps astatine 4-31, Chappell was highly captious of Haseeb Hameed, Zak Crawley and axed opener Rory Burns.

"They haven't got excessively galore options (for the apical order)," Chappell told Wide World of Sport.

LIVE UPDATES: Aussies embarrass England successful brainsick last session

"Really, it doesn't marque a quality what changes they make; it doesn't look to assistance them.

"Knowing that the apical bid is truly struggling is simply a large advantage, and it's an adjacent bigger vantage erstwhile Australia person got 2 truly bully quickies successful (Mitchell) Starc and (Pat) Cummins."

Hameed was backed by England's selectors for the archetypal 3 Tests of the Ashes but failed to fastener successful his spot, making scores of 25, 27, six, consecutive ducks and seven.

Burns was selected for the archetypal 2 games and was chopped for the MCG Test, having registered a aureate duck, 13, 4 and 34.

The left-hander was horrendous against the archetypal shot of the series, making a messiness of his footwork arsenic Starc bowled him down his legs.

And portion Crawley was recalled to the Test broadside astatine the disbursal of Burns, the 23-year-old had an adjacent much meagre output successful Melbourne, mustering 12 and five.

"The information that they get bogged down by the Australians (is their biggest problem)," Chappell said.

"The Australians cognize that adjacent if they enactment determination for a small portion they're not going to bash overmuch damage. That gives them a large advantage.

"They're making them play aboriginal on, they're bowling bully balls and, importantly, they're catching astir of the things coming their way. So that makes Australia truly dangerous."

While England had kept their fading Ashes hopes live done a magnificent showing with the shot earlier connected time two, Australia's electrical last hr decimated the large enactment the tourists had done.

So blistery person Australia been and truthful mediocre person England been that the archetypal innings decision of the bid is not retired of the question.

England volition resume their 2nd excavation inactive trailing by 51 runs, with Root connected 12 and all-rounder Ben Stokes connected two.

"I cognize what (the dressing room) should beryllium like. They should beryllium devastated with the mode they've played," Chappell said.

"They support talking astir showing combat but each they bash is speech astir it; they don't amusement it.

"Australia would beryllium cock-a-hoop."

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!