In Brisbane on Sunday, Australia cricket team crushed England cricket team by eight wickets in the second Test at The Gabba — moving 2-0 up in the The Ashes series — thanks to a superb performance from Michael Neser.
Neser, playing his first Test in three years, ripped through England’s lower order with a fine 5-42 on his home ground, effectively breaking the tail and leaving England chasing a target of just 65. His strike ripped the heart out of England’s resistance.
Earlier in the day, England’s much-vaunted fightback looked promising after they resumed at 134/6. Captain Ben Stokes and Will Jacks put together a stubborn 96-run stand, bringing some hope of recovery. But once Neser struck, aided by sharp catching from captain Steve Smith, the partnership was broken — and the rest of England’s innings collapsed swiftly
Smith himself played a pivotal role both with gloves and bat: he held a dramatic slip catch to dismiss Jacks, shifting momentum decisively, then later finished off the match with a six, as Australia chased down the target in style.
The victory underlines Australia’s dominance despite missing some of their big-name bowlers, and leaves England under severe pressure as they head into the third Test. While Stokes insisted he still backs his side to bounce back, the scale of the defeat and the ease of the chase will raise serious doubts about England’s capacity to recover.
With the Ashes at stake and Australia enjoying momentum, England now face an uphill battle — and will need more than grit if they are to avoid a rout.
