Debutant Boland destroys England as Australia retains Ashes
The HinduAustralia retained the Ashes with a thumping innings and 14-run win over England in the third test in Melbourne on Tuesday, December 28, 2021 with paceman Scott Boland taking a six-wicket haul in a fairytale debut. Boland, only the second Indigenous Australian to play a men's test match, strolled off the Melbourne Cricket Ground turf with a stump and astonishing innings figures of 6-7 as England's batsmen capitulated for 68 before lunch on day three. "I thought we had a pretty good chance of winning but I had no idea we would do it before lunch," said Victorian Boland, who won the Johnny Mullagh medal as player of the match in front of his home crowd. England had resumed on 31 for four, their faint hopes pinned on captain Joe Root and Ben Stokes building a partnership after another calamitous batting collapse late on day two. "Credit to Australia, they blew us away last night and they've outplayed us in this test match and in this series so far," Root said.