London, July 23: England’s newspapers have ‘humili88ed’ the Australian team for being bundled out for just 88 in their first innings of the Headingley Test against Pakistan.
A meagre 20-run opening partnership between Simon Katich and Shane Watson was Australia’s best for the innings, as they lost all 10 wickets for only 68 more runs.
It was their lowest Test total since being bowled out for 76 by the West Indies at Perth in 1984.
Blasting the innings, the back page of The Daily Mail said: “Any chance we can play you for the Ashes now, Ricky?”
“The Best Day of Summer Cricket - Aussies skittled for 88,” The Daily Mirror said.
The back page headline of The Times referred to both the Ashes and England’s looming series against Pakistan: “Good news: Australia are in disarray. Bad news: we play Pakistan next”, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
The view of The Independent was that Australia’s performance “displayed a fragility and an uncertainty against high-class swing bowling which is bound to cast a long shadow”.