Having lost the series already 3-0, the hosts were hoping to give their fans something to cheer about on Australia Day when they took on England in the fourth match at the Adelaide Oval.
Skipper Steve Smith won the toss and elected to bowl first on a damp and humid day at Adelaide. His decision was vindicated as the tourists were bundled out for 196, a total Australia chased down in 37 overs with three wickets to spare.
We look at the good and bad following Australia’s three-wicket victory.
THE GOOD
CUMMINS AND HAZLEWOOD DECIMATE ENGLAND’S TOP ORDER
After Smith had elected to bowl first on a damp wicket, new-ball partners Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood got Australia off to a rollicking start as they reduced England to 8-5 by the seventh over itself.
For a while it looked like England were back in the Ashes as Hazlewood and Cummins had them skipping and hopping with an extraordinary display of swing and seam bowling. The former accounted for both of England’s openers in Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow before snaring Jos Buttler for a duck.
Cummins was even better and his delivery to dismiss Alex Hales was a thing of beauty with the ball jagging back in sharply before uprooting the stumps. None of England’s top order batsmen could live with Australia’s new-ball bowlers and with half the side back in the shed after just seven overs, the game was well and truly lost at this point already.
Hazlewood picked up three top order wickets.
CHRIS WOAKES’ HEROIC REARGUARD FOR THE TOURISTS
Throughout the series, Chris Woakes has been an infallible performer with some aggressive hitting in the death overs and equally vital spells with the ball. On Friday, he came in to bat with England reeling at 61-6, staring at a total below the 100-run mark.
Woakes started well but soon found himself running out of partners as England were reduced to 120-8. It was at this point that the all-rounder threw down the gauntlet with a brilliant counter-attacking innings.
He smashed five big sixes and four boundaries in a sublime display of crisp hitting and was looking good for a famous century before he was undone by a slower ball from Andrew Tye to depart for a well-made 78.
Woakes’ innings got England to a respectable score.
THE BAD
ENGLAND PAY THE PRICE FOR AGGRESSIVE BATTING
Eoin Morgan’s men have always adopted an aggressive approach with their top-order batting given their strength in depth. On Friday, they probably needed to reign that in given the help on offer to the pacers on a juicy track.
However, having scored big in the opening three ODIs, they failed to get out of attacking mode and paid the ultimate price. Jason Roy drove Hazelwood loosely to point in the very second delivery of the day while Joe Root was caught after only managing a top edge while attempting to pull Cummins.
A little bit of caution at the start could have gone a long for England but they fell prey to their ‘bang bang’ approach.
Roy was caught driving loosely for a duck.
CAMERON WHITE FAILS TO GET GOING ONCE AGAIN
The veteran has not quite had the best of times ever since he was given a surprise recall into the ODI side as a reward for his consistent performances domestically over the past two years.
With scores of 0, 15 and 17 in the first three matches, the pressure was on White on Friday to justify the selectors’ show of faith in him. It wasn’t to be though for the 34-year-old as he was trapped plumb in front of the wicket for just three runs while trying to play across the line to Tom Curran.
He hasn’t bowled his leg-spinners since his return to the national side, making his contributions all the more meagre as a specialist batsman.
White survived just seven deliveries before falling to Curran.
