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By Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport in Old Trafford
For the first time in 18 years, Australia will go down beneath with the Ashes in their own luggage.
They went 2-1 up to play with to ensure a drawn string, which is the holders by winning at Old Trafford.
On the one hand, England might count themselves unfortunate. They could have won if it hadn’t been at Lord’s.
They had one of those innings out of Ben Stokes to provide them success in a third Test and were beaten at the evaluations.
Here are some reasons why Australia retain possession of cricket prize and England will not do a World Cup-Ashes double .
Let’s begin with the biggest gap between the two sides: Steven Peter Devereux Smith’s bat.
A relentless fidgeting machine, although he is not a batsman.
To have tortured England after, on their tour down under in 2017-18, is 1 thing. To do it again, following 18 months out of Test cricket because of his part in the ball-tampering scandal, lifts him to the kind of Ashes greatness that’s surpassed perhaps only by Sir Donald Bradman.
Has something Australian put together a body of work in the 20, not since Neighbours arrived on TV screens.
Smith runs is nearly twice as many as anyone else – and he missed one Evaluation with concussion. His score is 82.
England should be thinking about how to stop Smith from doing so again, even though the upcoming Ashes series is over two decades away. He will be their biggest hurdle for regaining the urn.
Taking nothing away from Smith’s achievement, it’s fair to take into account the string may have been England’s James Anderson already been fit.
Whether it was right or wrong to get started the very first Test, four weeks after tearing a calf is debatable, but the fact remains he bowled four overs to Smith from the show and not one delivery.
To be without your top wicket-taker, one of the swing bowlers to have ever played the sport, when seeking to dislodge the planet batsman is.
Jofra Archer and stuart Broad performed admirably in Anderson’s absence, but it left the England attack faulty.
England’s assault could not supply exactly the identical continuous danger whereas Australia always had three pace bowlers to call upon, never giving a minute to breathe to the house batsmen.
For seven decades, moving right back to when Andrew Strauss retired, England’s top order has ever contained a minumum of one hole.
They have scrapped enough runs for the bowlers to get them out of difficulty, although it has hurt them in away show.
It should not happen to be a problem here – Australia’s batting, pub Smith, has been shaky.
England, though, could not exploit that since their particular collapses were not far away. Four wickets for 18 runs in the first innings of the first Test, 6-27 at the next innings; 138-6 from first innings of the drawn second Test, 161-5 in the next; and 67 all out in the early innings of the third Test (honest enough, they still won).
On successive evenings, England still sent three wickets for 30 runs, although there was fight in the next Test.
England’s batting has not had more success than Bambi stepping to a frozen lake when it has to do with staying vertical. It is the part of the team which needs the urgent attention.
It can be argued that England were outplayed in three Tests (Edgbaston, Headingley and Old Trafford) and were the better side in another (Lord’s).
They also had opportunities from the others, only to let the moment slip through their fingers, were refused with the Lord’s weather and managed to win at Headingley.
After bowling out Australia England found themselves 267-4 in the end of day two, with the opportunity to bat the vacationers. They managed a lead of just 90.
Australia were 75-3 in their second innings 15 behind. Matthew Wade and smith made centuries on the fourth day, moving the people from sight with the aid of some England approaches which comprised a curious lack of Chris Woakes’ bowling.
At Old Trafford, Australia were 224-5 on a placid pitch when Smith was united by ruler Tim Paine. In Paine was shed and Smith, who proceeded to create 211, was captured a Jack Leach no-ball on 118 away from.
On these moments do games, and series, hinge.
England have a record at home collection, having not been beaten since 2014. They haven’t lost this one – yet – but Australia feels like a beat.
However those home wins all have come with caveats. In which England were thrashed at Lord’s the 4-1 win over India past summer was much closer than the scoreline suggested and was countered with a 1-1 draw with Pakistan.
In the wins over South Africa and West Indies at 2017, England suffered a Evaluation defeat. They came back against Ireland earlier this summer, too, after being bowled out for 85, winning.
Put England have been able to emerge despite their flaws, when an Australia group containing speed assault and the world’s greatest batsman came into town, but those frailties were ripe for vulnerability.
England will deny the focus on winning the World Cup has come at the detriment of their Evaluation, but plenty of evidence suggests otherwise.
Some concrete improvements are made. Archer has brought the pace missing the batsmen have latterly shown application and for Leach looks like he could be a spinner.
But, for now, Australia are a better team.
From batting collapses the reasons behind England’s Ashes failure, to Steve Smith’s genius – and could we have called it all together?
Watch the second Josh Hazlewood traps Craig Overton lbw to wrap up an 185-run victory for Australia which sees them keep the Ashes.
England haven’t missing an Ashes series since 2001 at home – but will you remember who played in that series defeat?
Joe Root says he is still the correct man to captain England despite failing to regain the Ashes from Australia.
Analysis and opinion by the cricket correspondent of the BBC.
Read more here: http://seherelhayat.ly/wp/?p=7590