Ricky Ponting rips into Australia as England take control of fifth Ashes Test

Cricket great Ricky Ponting has savaged Australia's efforts to limit England's second innings lead in the fifth Ashes Test, as the hosts left the visitors with a mountain to climb to claim an outright series victory in the Ashes on day three. England built a lead of 377 runs by the end of the third day, with Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, who announced he will be retiring after the fifth Test, still at the crease when play resumes.

Ponting was left filthy after the Australian bowling attack failed to apply any meaningful pressure on England's batting lineup, with a century partnership between Joe Root (91) and Jonny Bairstow (78) for the fifth wicket proving decisive. Australia's attack looked lost at times, with Mitchell Starc's four wickets coming at a costly 4.95 runs an over.

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Todd Murphy claimed three second innings wickets in his Test comeback but also came at a heavy cost, with his 22 overs coming at five an over as well. Pat Cummins, who was at his best in the first innings, was unable to deliver a repeat performance with just one wicket from his 16 overs also coming at more than four and a half runs per over.

In the meantime the likes of Zak Crawley (71), Ben Duckett (42) and Ben Stokes (42) all continued to keep the pressure on Australia, alternating swashbuckling shots to the boundary with a constant effort to push for singles and twos. It left Ponting 'ready to explode' as his Sky Sports co-commentator Nasser Hussain put it, as others continued to speculate as to how Australia could put a stop to the free-flowing England innings.

“It would be better for Cummins to be bowling at that end with the brand new ball,” Ponting said. “It was Cummins who changed things in the first innings. With the sun out - Mitchell Starc relies on swing - there’s not going to be any swing out there so he can leak runs like what is happening now.”

Hussain was broadly in agreement with his former sparring partner in Ponting, declaring that the Aussie attack had got it all wrong from the get-go. He was critical of the plan of attack against Crawley in particular.

“Everyone in world cricket knows where to bowl to Zak Crawley … you bowl fifth stump, back of a length," he said. "They bowled on his pads, they bowled both sides of the wicket.

"They got it wrong and now they’re playing catch-up cricket. You can have as many theories as you want, but you’ve got to bowl better.”

Meanwhile, Ponting was left further incensed when the strategy against Duckett proved equally ineffective. It was only a canny review from the Aussies that showed the England opener had feathered an edge through to wicketkeeper Alex Carey that sent him on his way.

“That’s now five boundaries for Duckett. All leg side. And four of them from midwicket to backward square. They have not had one man out there,” he said. “I would just like to see things change up a little.

"Just a little! Execute better. Bowl the right line and length. Or at least get your fielders where the ball is going to go.”

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Ponting was far from the only former Aussie great to be scathing of the bowling strategy, with Mark Taylor also critical of their execution with the new ball. He suggested the wicket was the most suited to the Aussies all series, but thought they had been too tentative with their reluctance to hit Crawley with the short ball.

“They haven’t bowled enough short ones at the right time to Zak Crawley,” Taylor said. “I would have loved to see Australia … set him on the back foot a little more.

“I’m surprised Australia haven’t tried to rock him back early, even with the brand new ball, a couple of short balls. It is a bit like an Australian pitch. There is bounce in it. I’m surprised Australia haven’t used that bounce.”

Some rain is forecast for London late on Sunday and Monday, but the rate at which England have scored means a result is likely. Still, Australia insist victory is possible.

"The boys will be confident they can chase whatever they put on in the morning," Murphy said. "We spoke about it at the start of the day, just keeping ourselves in the game today and backing our batters to chase whatever we get set.

"We knew England were going to come out today and put the pressure on us and they did, they batted really well. But we're definitely still in the game."

With AAP

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