On this day in 2011 – England win Ashes series in Australia after 24 years

At the beginning of the new decade (The 2010s), there was a massive shift in terms of the sovereign powers of Test Cricket. Australia and India were no longer the powerhouses, whereas teams like England and South Africa were the two ultimate exponents who had started to beat teams as visitors.

Although the fortunes of English cricket had already changed when they had beaten the Australians in the World T20 2010 clinching their first-ever ICC glory, it was the Ashes victory on the Australian soil which gratified the thirst of 24 years.

England’s last Ashes win (1986-97) at the Australian turf had crystallized under Mike Gatting’s leadership where the side had some formidable names in the form of David Gower, Ian Botham and Allan Lamb. But the vicious scars of the previous white-wash in 2006-07 would always traumatize England.

However, the English team this time was a well-oiled machine whose solidity relied upon the hands of the batting structure which comprised of Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Paul Collingwood along with the elegance of Jonathan Trott who had disrupted the way England could combat any conditions in the world.

What a week this was in 2011!
England winning the Ashes 3-1 Down Under#FlashbackFriday pic.twitter.com/TYQcMf7f5P

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 8, 2016

Series overview

The first Test marked its way in Brisbane where both the teams inculcated a batting run-fest including England’s second innings score of 517-1d. Although the result fetched into a draw, it was already a primitive indication to the Aussies regarding England’s commendable batting run which would completely dazzle them.

The second Test at Adelaide became England’s batting paradise as the visitors amassed a mammoth first innings score of 620-5 d which made them secure a win by an innings and 71 runs.

With Perth always being Australia’s potent fortress, they made an empowering comeback by bundling England out in both their innings (187 & 123) and winning the third Test by 267 runs.

The Boxing Day Test at the MCG became a jingling affair for the Aussies as England not only broke their backs by restricting them for a score of 98 in their first innings but also fused a win of an innings and 157 runs based on their innings total of 513.

With the New Year’s Test at the SCG, England manifested a similar yet winning formula by again basing their win of an innings and 83 runs on the king-sized first innings score of 644. The Ashes were preserved by the English team as they stacked up a historic win of 3-1 on the Australian loam.