England fell to humiliating defeat in the third morning of the MCG. Australia won the match with a stunning 3-0 win and the Ashes were retained.
At 31 for 4, the tourists had 51 runs left to avoid an innings defeat. Joe Root was at the plate with Ben Stokes and England fans chanting for the miraculous win that seems like it’s their only hope.
Instead, the last six tumbled for 22 as Scott Boland, Australia’s 32-year-old debutant seamer, took a barely believable six for seven, and England fell to their lowest total in Australia since March 1904, when they made 61, also at Melbourne.

Australia stormed through England in order to retain the Ashes, a lead of 3-0
Their latest surrender included England’s 53rd and 54th Test ducks of 2021, equalling their own world record, set back in 1998. They’re a laughing stock now and, assuming no more complications with Covid, there are still two Tests to come.
It’s possible that things could become even more complicated. And it is hard to believe now that the tour will be over.
England’s predictable procession continued in the fifth over of the third morning, when Starc bowled Ben Stokes for 11 with a ball that nipped back through the gate to make it 46 for five.
It was then the Boland Show. He already had figures of two for one after the second evening, and now – charging in on his home ground – he won a marginal lbw decision against Jonny Bairstow.

England’s batting performances were another disaster as Joe Root’s team lost the Ashes
Root was then caught at slip by David Warner with a misaligned drive from outside stump. That left him with a calendar-year haul of 1,708 runs at 61 – a mammoth 1,178 ahead of England’s next-most productive Test batsman, Rory Burns.
England’s captain trudged off a beaten man. Although he has shown great courage this year, the same can’t be said for his teammates. Root is truly exhausted.
His demise hastened England’s. Before Ollie Robinson caught at the third slip, Mark Wood had a catchback to Boland.
It was over just 80 minutes after Cameron Green had bowled Jimmy Anderson. Australia won the match by 14 runs and Australia was fully deserving of the cheers from the crowd.