English great torches ‘shambolic’ bowling efforts

The pair were both taken out by recalled English speedster Josh Tongue, but Australia responded courtesy of a 102-run partnership between Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.

The tourists’ ascendancy was driven home in brutal fashion in the final session as Travis Head (77) put together another century stand alongside Smith before a late double-strike from Joe Root added some respectability to the scoreline from an English perspective.

Outside of the pacey Tongue, England’s pace battery of Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson were once again largely ineffective, and were called out by England great Kevin Pietersen during a stunning tea break rant.

“Not a lot has caught my eye from an England perspective, it’s been shambolic, absolutely shambolic,” the former skipper said.

“You have overhead conditions, a wicket that suits your bowlers and you’ve got bowlers running in at 125 km/h.

“It’s one thing walking here, swanning around, and saying, ‘Hey this is a wonderful team to play in, we’re creating the best environment’, but this is not Ashes cricket. I’ve played Ashes cricket. I’ve played 30 Test matches against Australia.”

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Pietersen was especially critical of how slow England’s players were to come out of the dressing room following multiple delays during the first session.

“The Australians here were out to bat before the English bowlers,” he said.

“The English bowlers this morning should’ve been on those stairs saying, ‘We want to bowl at Australia, we’re desperate to bowl at Australia’, (but) these two Australian batters are out there waiting for England.

“It’s all too easy and all too nice. Are you telling me Ricky Ponting in 2005 would be talking to Geraint Jones? Do you think Michael Vaughan is going to be standing next to Justin Langer saying, ‘Hey mate, what a cool day’. Are you joking?

“I just hope they’re in that dressing room now and the England coach is giving them the biggest hammering.

“It’s not good enough. It’s absolutely not good enough. You cannot bowl that here today.

“You cannot declare for 390. Do you think Australia is declaring here today? No chance.”

Pietersen wasn’t the only former captain to take aim at England, with Eoin Morgan also chiming in on commentary.

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“It’s seemed a little pedestrian today,” he said.

“When you go right back to the toss and Ben Stokes won the toss, you could see a little smile on his face.

“It was obviously such an important toss in England’s opinion to win, you feel like to one degree or another they felt like the job was half done before they even got on the pitch.

“Australia came running out and there was a real purpose about them from ball one and England perhaps fell into the trap of thinking it was just going to happen.

“It was the perfect opportunity in my mind to show aggression. It just felt a little bit too easy and too comfortable for those Australian openers.

“I wonder whether there’s an emotional hangover from Edgbaston. It was such a brilliant Test match and a great advert for the game, it’s hard not to feel slightly flat at the end of it.”

Smith will be joined by Alex Carey (11 not out) when play resumes on day two.

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