‘They've got some really, really deep thinking to do’ - Ricky Ponting slams England for poor selections and strategies

England lost the third Ashes Test by an innings and 14 runs margin and conceded the Ashes with two matches to go. They last won a Test in Australia during the 2010-11 tour. Since then, England has not won a single Test down under. The way this series is going, it will be really tough for them to bounce back.

In the third Test, England could make only 68 runs in the second innings and only two batters could reach a double-digit score. Scott Boland, who made his debut for Australia in that game picked six wickets in the second innings while giving away just seven runs in four overs.

Former Australian captain and commentator Ricky Ponting slammed the way the English team has played on this tour. He mentioned that England didn’t select the best playing 11 in the first Test and continued to commit the mistakes in the next two matches.

Notably, England left out the experienced duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad in the first Test and in the second Test, they both were brought in at the expense of Jack Leach and Mark Wood. In the third Test, Wood and Leach again made it to the playing 11 while Broad was overlooked.

“They’ve out-thought themselves with their selections for Brisbane, looking forward to Adelaide and then looking forward to the MCG. Pick your best team from the start and then see how far that group can take you. The fact that Anderson and Broad didn’t play in Brisbane is staggering,” Ponting said while speaking to Channel Seven.

Joe Root shouldn’t have batted first in Brisbane – Ricky Ponting

Ponting further criticized the way Joe Root has captained his side in this series. Root’s decision of batting first in Brisbane was also not well received by Ponting.

“The fact that Joe Root didn’t bowl first in Brisbane was staggering. The fact that Mark Wood didn’t play in Adelaide was staggering. He looked like one of the most likely bowlers up in Brisbane. All their planning, their thoughts, and their structures have just been completely wrong, and it’s come back to bite them.

“There’s no good looking forward from Brisbane if you’re going to be one or two nil down. And that’s what it was: they planned for Melbourne – already being two-nil down, they’ve come here and been pantsed again. So, they’ve got some really, really deep thinking to do,” Ponting added.