The Australian media has revelled in England's Ashes capitulation, gleefully declaring the death of the tourists' much-hyped 'Bazball' approach after the urn was retained in a blistering 11 days of cricket.
Newspapers Herald the Demise of Bazball
Sports sections across the country were dominated on Monday by mockery of pre-series English confidence and obituaries for the aggressive philosophy championed by coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes. The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age led with the blunt headline "Bazball is dead", quoting former Australian opener Simon Katich.
The West Australian took the theme further, producing a mock death notice on parchment-style paper. It announced Bazball's passing as "deeply lamented by Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, but basically no one else". The coverage homed in on pre-series comments from English pundits and players, including Stuart Broad, who had labelled this Australian team the worst since 2011.
A Triumph Overshadowed and Celebrated
The historic sporting moment, however, was partially pushed from front pages by coverage of the Bondi terror attack. In a sign of its diminished prominence amid serious news, The Sydney Morning Herald did not mention the Ashes victory on its front page or in its main news section.
Nevertheless, the back pages and dedicated sports spreads were filled with triumphant analysis. News Corp's tabloids, including the Advertiser in Adelaide, ran with themes like "Rampant Aussies prove point" and "Cummins' men beat odds to make mockery of Broad's prediction". The Australian simply declared, "Long live Ashes kings".
The achievement of Pat Cummins's side was put into sharp focus: they had secured the urn despite injuries to key players, matching the record set by Steve Waugh's team in the early 2000s for the shortest number of days required to retain the Ashes.
Eyes on a Whitewash in Melbourne
With the series now heading to the SCG in Sydney, attention has already turned to the prospect of a 5-0 whitewash. The Herald Sun in Melbourne warned "Next stop, 5-0", noting Mitch Starc's desire to play all five Tests. The upcoming Boxing Day Test in Melbourne will see Australia without captain Cummins and spinner Nathan Lyon, but the local press remains bullish about completing a clean sweep against a demoralised England.
The comprehensive victory has not only secured the Ashes but has also delivered a powerful, and very public, rebuttal to the perceived arrogance of England's pre-tournament rhetoric, leaving the future of their revolutionary 'Bazball' strategy in serious doubt.
