Any possibility of England springing a surprise after setting a modest 170-run target very much ended after David Warner and Cameron Bancroft shared a brilliant partnership in the final session of the fourth day.
The visitors could not delay the inevitable for long on the final day of the match, as Australia crushed Joe Root & Co. by ten wickets to go one-nil up in the five-match series and maintain their impressive record at the Gabba.
Steve Smith & Co. were a mere 56 runs away from drawing the first blood in the five-game series after Warner and Bancroft shared an unbroken 114-run opening stand on the penultimate day of the game. The decisive partnership, nonetheless, had for the first time in the game put Australia firmly on top of proceedings after both the teams struggled to take command of the proceedings on the first three days.
With the win very much on the cards, Australia openers had a spring in their feet, as they began from where they had left on the last day. The game, meanwhile, soon witnessed an emotional moment when Warner looked up at the sky once he reached 63 to mark the third death anniversary of the late Phil Hughes.
Australia’s latest opening pair did not face much trouble from English bowlers, as the duo shared a 173-run stand to inflict a humiliating defeat on the visitors. Warner scored 87 off 119 balls while Bancroft took 182 deliveries to score 81.
Earlier, on the fourth day, England would have got a taste of what to expect from Australia’s formidable bowling lineup in the upcoming games. Resuming the day on 33 for two, Joe Root and Mark Stoneman looked at ease against Australia’s pace attack which struggled to find its rhythm early on. But Nathan Lyon turned the tie in the hosts’ favour by breaking the dangerous-looking partnership, sending back Stoneman before accounting for Dawid Malan to leave the visitors reeling at 74 for four.
Any chances of putting a big score took a huge blow when Josh Hazlewood had Root trapped in front for 51 before Lyon broke another promising partnership between Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow by dismissing the former after the duo had added 42 runs which pushed England’s lead past 100. A 30-run stand between Bairstow and Chris Woakes would have revived England’s hopes, but Australia’s pre-series talks of bouncing out the visitors’ tail were on full display, as the hosts took the last four wickets for just ten runs to dismiss the visitors for 195.
With the momentum firmly in Australia’s side, England now need to replicate the heroics of their legendary 2005 side, the last team to lift the Ashes urn having lost the opening match of the series.
Here is how Twitter reacted to the match:
A big congrats to the Aussie boys getting to 1-0 in this #Ashes ??????????????
Now Adelaide… gulp..— Dean Jones AM (@ProfDeano) November 27, 2017
Congrats to the Aussies. Brilliant performance, convincing win in the end ??????????
— Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) November 27, 2017
A quality side is one that can stick with their opposition and then seize the moment. @CricketAus hung in for 3 days & it was 4th day where their pounced. Biggest test for them awaits at Adelaide Oval #Ashes
— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) November 27, 2017
https://twitter.com/MitchJohnson398/status/934952926937726976
Well goodnight
Early night it is ffs— Darren Gough MBE (@DGoughie) November 27, 2017
An absolute hammering! #Ashes
— Kevin Pietersen? (@KP24) November 27, 2017
"One Phillip Hughes…"
A classy tribute from the travelling England fans ?#63NotOutForever #Ashes pic.twitter.com/QMzZ86zA07
— Cricket on BT Sport (@btsportcricket) November 27, 2017
Superb win by Australia, only took control of the match on Day 4, it now appears they’ve thrashed England. Highlights – Smith’s ? & Bancroft’s debut, impressive character! #Ashes
— Tom Moody (@TomMoodyCricket) November 27, 2017