Joe Root fell in the final over of the fourth day on Sunday and put England in deep trouble at four for 82, chasing a massive 468 to win the second Ashes Test, going down 2-0 in the series. 9 history-making miracles were needed to survive. No team has ever posted such a high fourth-innings score for a win in the history of Test cricket – with the West Indies 418 for seven after beating Steve Waugh’s Australia at St John’s in 2003.
It’s even more difficult at the Adelaide Oval, where Australia’s 315 for six to beat England in 1902 was a fourth-innings best run chase.
England’s troubles stemmed from being dismissed for 236 on Saturday in reply to Australia’s 473 for nine, following a batting collapse.
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They came to a close on the fourth day with ailing skipper Root in the last over of the day, leaving Ben Stokes three not out.
England still 386 runs behind, facing the almost impossible task of batting on the final day in three sessions, with only six wickets remaining and the world number one Test batsman back in the pavilion.
The hosts resumed their second innings at 45 for one and declared 230 for nine in the middle of the second session, leaving their bowlers to crack England with the pink ball.
He immediately swung the Haseeb Hameed along with Jhye Richardson and blew the ball without scoring to wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
David Malan, who had scored 80 in the first innings, was dismissed by Steve Smith but only three more deliveries could be played before debutant Michael Neser dismissed him lbw for 20.
Opener Rory Burns was desperate for a big total after a lean spell and scored 34, but then was beaten by Richardson’s quick pace, dismissing Smith at slip.
Root suffered an abdominal injury during the warm-up, missing the first 85 minutes on his way to the scan.
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He was mostly seen batting non-stop, but late in the day Mitchell Starc suffered a nasty blow in the same area that left him tormented to the ground.
Root rose gingerly, but Starc’s delivery in the final over got a big blow for 24 runs.
With England losing by nine wickets in the first Test in Brisbane, their hopes of going down 1-0 in just a week’s time in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne are over.
A 2-0 loss in the five-match series would mean that the Ashes is over. The only instance of the team coming down 2–0 to win the urn was in the 1936–37 series by Australia.
– Hero and Villain Butler –
Earlier, Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head both scored 51 runs for Australia, with England taking three for seven to start the day.
Interim skipper Smith could have enforced a follow-on late Saturday but opted to send in his batsmen to take an unassailable lead.
Marcus Harris scored an unbeaten 21 for two with nightwatchman Neser on Sunday when he dismissed David Warner in an amateurish run-out the previous evening.
Neser survived only seven balls before a full length delivery from Jimmy Anderson, and Harris took a blinding catch from wicketkeeper Jos Buttler after being dismissed by Stuart Broad.
Butler’s celebration was short-lived when he incredibly missed a regulation catch off Smith’s next delivery, reminiscent of a two-sitter put down by Labuschagne in the first innings.
But he soon went from villain to hero again and took another fine diving catch to hit Smith for a six off Ollie Robinson.
Head played at a quick clip to reach his eighth Test half-century off 49 balls, but then Robinson pulled Ben Stokes into the deep.
Labuschagne took 96 deliveries to reach his 50, but Stokes was dismissed before coming late before the declaration, which became part-time spinner Malan’s maiden Test wicket.
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