How the ‘worst’ Australian team in 15 years just retained the Ashes against England

Apparently, the “worst” Australian cricket team in 15 years just won the Ashes with two matches to spare against what many called the strongest England squad since 2011.

Long-time protagonist Stuart Broad sparked debate ahead of the series when he described the host squad as the worst to contest the Ashes in Australia since England’s 2010-11 series win Down Under. Broad, a 167-test veteran, had played in that victorious series.

Since then, England has endured 16 losses, two draws, and no wins on Australian soil.

Marnus Labuschagne, who took a spectacular catch to help end England’s last-day resistance in the third test, addressed Broad’s comments:

"Have to say, being called the worst Australian team in 15 years… like it's nice to be sitting where we are, 3-0 up," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
"The job's not done yet. We want to make sure it's 5-0 and really take that urn."

The series took just 11 days — two in Perth, four in Brisbane, and almost five in Adelaide — not quite a record for an Ashes series, but close.

Chasing a world-record target, England was all out for 352 while pursuing 435, giving Australia an 82-run win. The third test attracted a total crowd of 223,638.

The Barmy Army, England’s traveling supporters, were loud and hopeful during the fourth innings at Adelaide Oval, but it was Australia celebrating yet another dramatic victory.

Australia’s squad was far from full strength: skipper Pat Cummins missed the first two tests due to a back injury, and Josh Hazlewood was ruled out for the series. That left Mitchell Starc as the only member of the regular pace attack for the first two tests. Offspinner Nathan Lyon was dropped for the second test, making Starc the lone member of Australia’s traditional bowling quartet in the lineup.

Starc led the team with two man-of-the-match performances, taking three of the last four wickets in Adelaide and finishing with 22 wickets for the series and 51 for the calendar year.

"We just found a way, which I think is a feature of this group over a number of years now," Starc said.
"Even at times where it's not going our way, we can find a way to get ourselves over the line."

Australia’s batting also faced challenges: who would open and who would bat at No. 3. Steve Smith led the team in Cummins’ absence in Perth and Brisbane but was ruled out of the third test due to vertigo. Usman Khawaja returned to replace him and steadied the innings.

Cummins praised the team’s approach:
"You just kind of crack on. Even though I missed the first couple of games, Steve stepped right in. It was smooth, seamless. And there's always things that crop up … but the boys go, 'OK, that's happened, let's crack on, what's next?' That's one of the big reasons why we've had success over the last couple of years."

This attitude will be tested again in Melbourne starting Boxing Day, with Cummins and Lyon unlikely to play the fourth test.

Khawaja’s back injury in the first test pushed Travis Head from No. 5 to opener. He responded with a match-winning century and then scored 170 on his home ground in Adelaide in the second innings.

Asked post-match what it’s like to be part of the Australian team, Head’s answer was simple: "Yeah, it's bloody amazing."