Australia won the 2021-2022 Ashes series 4-0 after winning the fifth and final Test match by 146 runs at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Sunday (January 16, 2022). The match lasted barely three days, with Australia dominating for the majority of the time. Australia have solidified their position in the current ICC Test Championship points standings with this victory. On the other hand, England have stayed at the bottom of the standings. The fifth Test match report between Australia and England is discussed in this article.
Australia vs England 2021-2022 Ashes: Fifth Test Match Report
Australia wanted to set a target of more than 300 runs for England when they stepped out to bat on day 3. However, Australia were bowled out for 155 runs in the second innings immediately after the lunch break. As a result, England needed 271 runs to win the fifth match of the series. But, the English team was bowled out for only 124 runs in the last session of the day, losing the match by 146 runs.
Australian pacers rattled the English batters in both innings. Aussie skipper Pat Cummins took the most wickets in the match, with seven. While Starc, Boland, and Green each took four wickets in the contest.
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Earlier, Australia batted first and scored 303 runs in their first innings. Travis Head hit a century in the first inning. Head and Cameron Green (74) put up a 121-run partnership in the fifth wicket, allowing Australia to amass more than 300 runs in the first innings.
In response, England were bowled out for 188 runs in 47.4 overs, giving Australia a 115-run first-innings lead.
England's best bowler in the match was Mark Wood. He took 9 wickets, including a 6-wicket haul in the second innings. Mark Wood's bowling figure in the second innings was 16.3-2-37-6.
Top Performers in Australia vs England 2021-2022 Ashes
Australian players topped the top performers list in both batting and bowling. Left-handed batter Travis Head scored the most runs (357) in six innings with a 59.90 batting average. The only English player in the top five most run-scorers list was right-handed batter Joe Root.
Most Runs Scored in the Ashes Series 2021-2022
|
Player |
Inn |
Runs |
HS |
Ave |
100s |
|
Travis Head (AUS) |
6 |
357 |
152 |
59.50 |
2 |
|
Marnus Labuschagne (AUS) |
9 |
335 |
103 |
41.87 |
1 |
|
Joe Root (ENG) |
10 |
322 |
89 |
32.20 |
0 |
|
David Warner (AUS) |
8 |
273 |
95 |
34.12 |
0 |
|
Usman Khawaja (AUS) |
4 |
255 |
137 |
85.00 |
2 |
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Australia's skipper Pat Cummins was the most successful bowler in the series. He took 21 wickets that was the highest in the series. The lone England bowler in the top five most wicket-takers list was right-handed pacer Mark Wood.
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Most Wicket-Getters in the Ashes Series 2021-2022
|
Player |
Inn |
Wickets |
BBI |
Ave |
5W |
|
Pat Cummins (AUS) |
8 |
21 |
5/38 |
18.04 |
1 |
|
Mitchell Starc (AUS) |
10 |
19 |
4/37 |
25.36 |
0 |
|
Scott Boland (AUS) |
6 |
18 |
6/7 |
9.55 |
1 |
|
Mark Wood (ENG) |
7 |
17 |
6/37 |
26.64 |
1 |
|
Nathan Lyon (AUS) |
7 |
16 |
4/91 |
23.56 |
0 |
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Player of the Match
Travis Head was named player of the match for his incredible century in the first innings. In addition, the left-handed batter was named Player of the Series for scoring 357 runs in six innings.
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ICC World Test Championship (2021-2023 Cycle) Points Table
Sri Lanka are the only side that has yet to lose a match in the ongoing Test Championship. Therefore, they remain in first place in the standings. England are at the bottom of the table with only one win and six losses.
ICC World Test Championship Points Table (as of January 16, 2022)
|
Position |
Team |
PCT (%) |
|
1 |
Sri Lanka |
100.00 |
|
2 |
Australia |
86.66 |
|
3 |
Pakistan |
75.00 |
|
4 |
South Africa |
66.66 |
|
5 |
India |
49.07 |
|
6 |
New Zealand |
33.33 |
|
7 |
Bangladesh |
25.00 |
|
8 |
West Indies |
25.00 |
|
9 |
England |
9.25 |
Source: https://www.icc-cricket.com/world-test-championship/standings
Bottom Line
Australia dominated all through the Ashes 2021-2022 and deservedly won the series at 4-0. The host sealed the series with two games to spare after winning the third Test in Melbourne. They had a chance to whitewash the visitors, but a tenacious English team drew the fourth Test in Sydney, avoiding a humiliating sweep at the hands of arch-rivals Australian Test side. Australia have a strong chance to climb the ICC Test Championship points standings when the India-Sri Lanka Test series begins next month. Oppositely, England's chances of making the final in the second cycle of the World Test Championship are currently very slim after losing two tough series to India and Australia.
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