"It should have been a cliffhanger, and could well have been if England hadn't fluffed their lines on the second day in Perth. It should have been an epic, and might have been had the pitches in Perth and Melbourne not come straight from a seamer's dream. The long and the short of it is that it's been both long and short at the same time."
"For the players, it may have felt a little like what was famously said about the First World War: months of boredom punctuated by moments of terror. They haven't shot themselves in the foot, but they will have spent a bit of time kicking themselves. For the Australians, who may have been mildly irritated to lose in Melbourne, Sydney is a chance to make that game look like a blip, to complete yet another hammering and give Usman Khawaja a handsome send-off."
The series reached a subdued final act after England's poor second-day performance in Perth denied a potential cliffhanger. Seam-friendly pitches in Perth and Melbourne curtailed batting, resulting in a tour that felt long in preparation but short in match time, with only 13 days of play so far. Players experienced long periods of tedium punctuated by intense moments. Australia seeks to erase the Melbourne loss in Sydney, cement dominance, and give Usman Khawaja a fitting send-off while assessing underperformers Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green. England aim for pride, World Championship points, and morale restoration, with consolation victories still meaningful.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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