Ashes 2017, Fourth Test: England sight victory in Melbourne, Australia dominance

The fourth Ashes test starts tomorrow in Melbourne.

Australia has already won the Ashes 2017 urn. (Getty)

The fourth Ashes boxing day test is all set to be played on 26th December at Melbourne Cricket Ground with visitors trailing behind the host by 3-0, they had some moments but England did not capitalize those and moreover, there were no exceptional performances by the senior players like Alastair Cook and Joe Root.

England has been trailing in this Ashes series so far with Australia taking an invulnerable 3-0 lead into the Boxing Day Test - the most revered match on the Australian cricket calendar. Once again Ashes have been won before the highpoint of the Australian summer with the team playing as one unit and demolishing their opponent. The English team would like to reverse the chronology and step up to beat Australia on their home turf.

There were no as such inspirational performances by the Britishers except some bits and pieces from Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow for their highest fifth-wicket partnership for England in the third Ashes test, players like Cook and Joe Root have disappointed with Moeen Ali not also performing up to his abilities. Comparatively, they are the weaker side among both the test playing nations as they have already lost the series.

Australia on the other side would be really confident, having stunningly reclaimed the Ashes, Australia will be intent on inching closer to another whitewash over their bitter rivals but will have to do so without the services of ailed spearhead Mitchell Starc, the leading wicket-taker of the series. Jackson Bird will be seen as the backup quickie replacing Starc in the boxing day test starting tomorrow.

Australia enjoying a series win at Perth | Source Hindustan Times

England will definitely seek to change their fortune at Melbourne as they have lost 8 consecutive test matches at WACA Perth. In a contrast, the visitor's team will be playing for pride and would want to take back something positive from the tour of Ashes. England will try to experiment out some new changes as Mitchell Starc not playing the match can be a winning factor for the team.

Alastair Cook, Joe Root, and Stuart Broad had a poor show in Ashes. (HT Media)

England would try to avoid a whitewash with MCG flat wicket could be their factor in winning the test. Joe Root will be hoping to bat first on a good batting surface with putting runs on the board it can pressurize Australia in the first innings. However, England received a more bad fortune when Craig Overton, their emerging bowling allrounder, was ruled out of the fourth Test with an injured rib and he will be replaced by uncapped quick Tom Curran, who was a tour replacement for the injured Steve Finn. 

A fourth straight Ashes victory will be a fitting finale for Australia, who started the year with a plenty of question marks after a rough 2016. Conversely, England will be determined to end their Australian hoodoo which now stretches to eight consecutive Test losses Down Under. 

England will have to pull up things with their best performance yet to come in this series, players will have to play according to their assigned responsibilities with Australia having an edge over England in the fourth test match.

 
 

By Kunal Kataria - 25 Dec, 2017

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