ASHES 2019: Ian Chappell predicts series scoreline for the Ashes

Australia begin the five-match Test series with a thumping win over England in Birmingham.

The marquee clash resumes at Lord's | Getty

Ian Chappell lambasted England team management and selectors by predicting a 5-0 Ashes scoreline in favour for Australia on the back of visitor's 251-run victory in the first Test at Edgbaston. 

The Aussies found themselves 122/8 on Day 1 and further needing to overcome a 90-run deficit in the second innings but yet come out victorious in Birmingham for the very first time since 2001 when they also last clinched the Ashes in UK. 

Now Chappell thinks Tim Paine's men will carry that momentum forward to the next Test at Lord's and not end the tour until having smashed the vulnerable three lions in their den. 

"I can see a five-nil coming up here," he told Sports Sunday

"I said before the series that if they (England) lost the first Test they could crumble very quickly."

"We saw that happen out here (in Australia) and we’ve seen it happen a couple of times. I can see it happening again as long as weather doesn’t intervene."

Further, on why he considers this an opportunity for Australia to humiliate England, Chappell added: "They (hosts) have got about three, maybe four one-day batsmen in a Test side and they wonder why they can’t bat out a day to save the game."

Steve Smith struck two legendary hundreds in the historic win. But, as per Chappell, the great batsman wasn't tested enough at the task by England bowlers. 

"There was one over Stuart Broad bowled to Steve Smith early on the fourth morning and it was a perfect six deliveries, all on the right length ... but he didn’t repeat that," he said.

"I think that’s one of the problems England have got. They either can’t, or they haven’t got the patience to keep sticking at it ... it’s a major problem."

England has left out Moeen Ali in preference of Jake Leach and could also bring in pacer Jofra Archer for the second Test. 

However, Chappell said: "England should have been a bit more ruthless with their second Test selection which tells me either they’re not going to be ruthless or they don’t have much. Leach I don’t think is going to be much better than Moeen Ali."

"If I was an England selector, as much as it would pain me to do it, I’d go without a spinner and play Sam Curran and Jofra Archer. But their selectors aren’t ruthless, same as other countries’ apart from Australia," he concluded. 

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 11 Aug, 2019

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