Australia crushes England by 9 wickets in first Ashes Test

Pat Cummins' team dominated England with bat, ball and in the field and head to the day-night second test in Adelaide with huge momentum as well as a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

It only took 20 minutes after the lunch break for Australia to take the win.
AFP

It only took 20 minutes after the lunch break for Australia to take the win.

Australia has crushed England by nine wickets to win the first Ashes Test in style just after lunch on day four at the Gabba.

Needing just 20 runs after bowling England out for 297 in their second innings – with Nathan Lyon taking his 400th Test scalp – Australia cruised to the target in 5.1 overs when Marcus Harris square-drove Mark Wood for a boundary.

The only blemish was the wicket of makeshift opener Alex Carey, who was out for nine, caught behind off the bowling of Ollie Robinson.

Regular opener David Warner was unable to bat due to a rib injury he suffered when he was twice hit by Wood in the first innings. 

Australia will carry a 1-0 lead in the five-match series into the second Test, which starts in Adelaide on Thursday.

"A lot of things did go right," said Pat Cummins, making his debut as AustraliaTest skipper.

"So someone was smiling on me. I'm really proud of everyone, I thought it was a really complete performance."

England will need to regroup after being dismantled with both bat and ball at the Gabba.

After being bowled out for 147 in the first innings, England then struggled to make any impression with the ball, with player of the match Travis Head (152), Warner (94) and Marnus Labuschagne (74) all punishing the English attack, particularly left-arm spinner Jack Leach.

READ MORE: England win fifth Test to square Ashes series

England collapse again

The visitors did fight back on the third day with a defiant partnership between captain Joe Root and Dawid Malan, but once they both fell early on Saturday, English resistance crumbled.

After starting the morning in a reasonable position at 220-2, the English lost eight for 77 in the extended first session.

England's batting issues at the Gabba were mirrored in the broadcast compound, where a power failure resulted in the worldwide television feed going down for 45 minutes.

No wickets fell during this period but when the broadcast problems were finally resolved, Lyon struck.

Lyon, in his 101st Test, became just the 16th player worldwide to achieve the feat of 400 Test wickets, and only the third Australian after Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.

It only took 20 minutes after the lunch break for Australia to take the win.

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