A devastating triple-strike early on the fourth day of the first Ashes Test laid the platform for Australia to charge to victory by nine wickets in Brisbane.
Veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon broke through for his long-awaited 400th Test scalp early in the first session, removing first drop Dawid Malan via a Marnus Labuschagne catch at silly point.
The dismissals of captain Joe Root and No.5 Ollie Pope then followed, giving Australia three wickets inside just four overs as England plummeted to 5-234, still trailing by 44 runs.
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Regular wickets continued to fall throughout the opening session as Australia bowled England out for 297 in their second dig, a fourth-innings chase of only 20 runs the mission set for the home side.
By the end of England’s innings they had capitulated to 8-77 in the first session of the fourth day.
“It’s been a pretty humiliating morning for England,” said former England pace bowler Isa Guha on the Fox Cricket broadcast.
Root lamented England’s woeful showing with the bat early on the fourth day.
“It’s a shame we couldn’t quite manage to get through that initial phase, because it could have been very different,” Root told Fox Cricket at the post-match ceremony.
Opener Marcus Harris hit the winning runs in Australia’s meagre chase, bunting a Mark Wood delivery for four through backward point in the sixth over to round out the nine-wicket win, Labuschagne watching on from the other end.
England had staged a valiant fightback on the third day of the match, as Malan and Root climbed to 80 and 86 respectively to cut Australia’s lead to 58 by stumps, the visitors 2-223.
But the rapid fashion in which England collapsed in the first session of the next day undid the Poms’ tenacious comeback attempt.
Lyon (4-91), new Test skipper Pat Cummins (2-51) and young all-rounder Cameron Green (2-23) led the onslaught of Australia’s bowling unit.
Australia’s Travis Head, batting at No.5 on his return to the Test side, was named player of the match for his blistering knock of 152. The left-hander brought up his century off just 85 balls, scoring the third-quickest ton in Ashes history.
England will aim to level the series at one-all when the rivals clash in a day-night Test at Adelaide Oval from Thursday.