England skipper Joe Root expressed disappointment after his side got thrashed by Australia by 146 runs in the fifth Ashes Test here at the Blundstone Arena on Sunday.
With this win, Australia won the five-match Ashes 4-0. Australian skipper Pat Cummins also took three wickets in the second innings as the hosts completed a perfect bowling performance.
"It's been a frustrating tour, tough tour for us. We have to keep learning to get better. Not go away from here and keep making the same mistakes. Not long before we play Test cricket again and an opportunity to turn things around. Too often we have not given our bowlers enough. We have been outplayed by Australia," said root after the fifth Ashes Test came to an end.
"Sometimes you have to put your hand up and say a team outplayed us. Who knows where we will be in four years' time! It is a nice reward for Woody, he is someone who throws his every bit on every ball, every performance. Massive thank you for having us on this tour. It is a huge occasion, huge series, credit to the hospitality and congrats Australia," he added.
Resuming the third and final session on Day 3 at 68/1, England batters Dawid Malan and Zak Crawley added 14 more runs to the total, but Australia came storming back as Cameron Green dismissed Malan (10) and Crawley (36) in quick succession, reducing England to 83/3 in the 23rd over.
Left-handed batter Ben Stokes (5) failed to leave a mark with the bat as he was scalped by Mitchell Starc in the 28th over. Nine runs later, Scott Boland went through Root's (11) defence, and England found itself reeling at 101/5, still, 170 runs away from the target. Boland struck once again and this time he sent Sam Billings (1) back to the pavilion and hence England was in danger of losing the fifth Ashes Test inside three days. In the very next over, Ollie Pope (5) was bowled by skipper Pat Cummins and the wheels started to come off for England.
In the end, the Three Lions were bowled out for 124, handing Australia a 146-run win in the fifth and final Ashes Test.
( With inputs from ANI )
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