Australia beat England by nine wickets in the first Ashes Test match, at the Gabba, Brisbane, to go one-up in the five-match series. England did put up some sort of resistance in the final session of Day 3, when Joe Root and Dawid Malan erased some of their first-innings deficit. But Australia, led by Nathan Lyon (4-91), took the last eight England wickets for 74 on the morning session of Day 4 to bowl out them for 297.
Root and Malan failed to add much to their overnight score. Malan was the first to go, caught at forward short leg off Lyon. In the process Lyon became the third Australian, after Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, and 17th overall, to take 400 Test wickets. Left to score only 20 to win, Australia took only 5.1 overs to win by nine wickets. They have not lost an Ashes Test match at the Gabba for 35 years now.
England now lost 10 of their last 11 Tests in Australia, and have won only one of their last 10 matches, since they beat India at Chennai in February. Ben Stokes (14) and Jos Buttler (23) survived 11 overs on Day 4 to add 32, the only time England seemed to be putting up a fight. They will rue their loose shots and ordinary technique. They resumed Day 4 on 220/2, but lasted only 33 overs in the morning.
In his first game as Test captain, Pat Cummins finished with match figures of 7-89. Alex Carey took a record-breaking eight catches on debut. Their only concern ahead of the day-night Test match is David Warner’s fitness. Warner was struck in the ribs while batting in the first innings and did not field or bat in the second because of that.
The second Ashes Test will begin on 16 December at the Adelaide Oval.
Brief scores: England 147 (Jos Buttler 39; Pat Cummins 5-38) and 297 (Joe Root 89; Nathan Lyon 4-97) lost to Australia 425 (Travis Head 152; Ollie Robinson 3-58) and 20/1 (Marcus Harris 9*; Ollie Robinson 1-13) by 9 wickets. Player of the Match: Travis Head.