29 December,2021 08:00 AM IST | Melbourne | AFP
Australia’s Scott Boland (third from right) celebrates an England wicket with teammates during the third Test yesterday. Pic/Getty Images
Skipper Pat Cummins said the way his team ripped England apart to retain the Ashes on Tuesday showed the strength of Australian cricket - and warned they were only just getting started.
The Australian attack destroyed tourists England for 68 in their second innings of the third Test to seal an innings and 14-run win, with Scott Boland taking an incredible 6-7 on his debut.
Aus skipper Pat Cummins
It equalled the record for the fastest five-wicket haul, in 19 balls, and came after Jhye Richardson - a late replacement for injured regular Josh Hazlewood - took five wickets in the second Test at Adelaide.
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"A great sign of the strength of Australian cricket. We were really confident Scotty would do a great job. Maybe not six for seven," said Cummins.
"Outside of the actual results, there have been so many other positives - a couple of debutants, a strong squad. These three victories really feel like we're setting ourselves up for the next few years and on."
Along with Boland, wicketkeeper Alex Carey also made his debut this series.
Seamer Michael Neser also played his first match, in Adelaide, performing admirably when Cummins was ruled out at the last minute as a close contact of a COVID case. Cummins said Australia's recent victory at the T20 World Cup had given them the belief "that we are right up there with the best teams in the world".
"We went into the series really confident. We knew we had our jobs to do and a lot of confident players around that," said Cummins. "I just feel like it's building, we have a great squad of 15 or 20 guys we're working from and I think we have got options for anywhere in the world."
Brief scores
England 185 & 68 (J Root 28, B Stokes 11; S Boland 6-7, M Starc 3-29) lost to Australia 267 by an innings and 14 runs
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