Hapless England’s Ashes dreams in tatters as Australia pounce

MELBOURNE: England crashed to 185 all out on day one of the third Test on Sunday, leaving their Ashes dreams on the brink of ruin in the face of a relentless Australian attack.

After heavy defeats in Brisbane and Adelaide, the visitors must win in Melbourne to keep the five-Test series alive, with Australia only needing a draw to retain the urn as holders.

But those hopes took a near-fatal blow as Australia ripped through England’s flimsy batting, with only captain Joe Root (50) and Jonny Bairstow (35) showing resistance.

Australian skipper Pat Cummins, back after missing the second Adelaide Test because he was in Covid isolation, and spin king Nathan Lyon both took 3-36.

Australia then added to England’s pain by negotiating 16 overs to be 61 for one at stumps, trailing by only 124 with Marcus Harris not-out 20 despite taking a nasty blow to the finger, and nightwatchman Lyon yet to score.

But on another bad day for England they did bag the big wicket of David Warner, who raced to 38 off 42 balls before sending a thick edge off Jimmy Anderson to Zak Crawley at gully.

“As a bowling group we know we are not going to give up any soft overs. You need to take 20 wickets to win the game and that’s our motive,” said Australia’s Scott Boland, who made his debut and took the wicket of Mark Wood. “It’s a great attack to be a part of.”

After batting collapses and poor bowling in the first two Tests, Root read his players the riot act — seemingly to little effect. They have failed to score more than 297 in five innings so far.

“Obviously the toss didn’t go our way, we’d also have loved to bowl in that first session,” said Bairstow.

“Yes, we’re still looking for that big score. We’ve got to get stronger and tougher with our dismissals, we know that.

“But we’ve seen that the pitch offered plenty (for the bowlers) today and hopefully we turn up in the morning and put pressure on to get some early inroads.”

Openers Haseeb Hameed (0) and Crawley (12) fell cheaply to Cummins after he won the toss and put England in to bat, with their hopes resting once more on Root in front of 57,100 fans at the MCG — less than expected due to Covid concerns.

He brought up his 53rd Test half-century in his 112th match, but once more failed to convert it into a maiden ton in Australia after a poor shot on 50 to Mitchell Starc.

Score Board

Australia won the toss

England 1st Innings

Haseeb c †Carey b Cummins 0

Crawley c Green b Cummins 12

Malan c Warner b Cummins 14

Root(c) c †Carey b Starc 50

Stokes c Lyon b Green 25

Bairstow c Green b Starc 35

Buttler† c Boland b Lyon 3

Wood lbw b Boland 6

Robinson c Boland b Lyon 22

Leach c Smith b Lyon 13

Anderson not out 0

Extras: (lb 4, nb 1) 5

Total: (65.1 Ov, RR: 2.83) 185

Fall: 1-4, 1.5 ov 2-13, 7.2 ov 3-61, 26.3 ov 4-82, 32.6 ov 5-115, 46.2 ov 6-128, 51.2 ov 7-141, 55.5 ov 8-159, 58.4 ov 9-176, 63.3 ov 10-185, 65.1 ov

Bowling: Mitchell Starc 15-3-54-2 Pat Cummins 15-2-36-3 Scott Boland 13-2-48-1 Cameron Green 8-4-7-1 Nathan Lyon 14.1-3-36-3

Australia 1st Innings

Harris not out 20

Warner c Crawley b Anderson 38

Lyon not out 0

Jamaat, PSP protest against ‘illegal’ local govt law, PPP’s ‘injustices’

By our correspondent

As part of their respective campaigns against the recently passed Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2021, the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) held protest demonstrations on Sunday, demanding that the provincial government withdraw the piece of legislation.

The JI held its protest at Power House Chowrangi in North Karachi, while the PSP held its protest at the Hasan Square. A large number of party workers and locals attended the rallies.

In their ongoing protests, the JI has announced organising a demonstration outside the provincial assembly this Friday (December 31), while the PSP has asked workers to prepare themselves to march on the Chief Minister House soon.

Unification

Addressing the North Karachi protest, JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said they have decided to take to the streets against the bill after every effort to convince the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Sindh government and suggestions for a better LG system have failed to fetch positive results.

Rehman said the people of Karachi will not accept any illegal legislation that violates the constitution, undermines the authority of the local government and usurps the rights of the people of the city.

He said the PPP got the bill passed by the PA in a blatantly undemocratic fashion to capture the local bodies and pave the way for turning the masses in the urban areas of the province into their slaves.

He demanded that all the civic departments working in the city be placed under the umbrella of a single, unified system. “We have made enough appeals, but the PPP government has proved that it only talks about democracy, and actually believes in feudalism,” said the JI leader.

“But we won’t give up, and will hold a sit-in outside the Sindh Assembly building on December 31, as part of the JI’s ongoing movement.” He said that once again a conspiracy is being hatched in Karachi to promote ethnic hatred between Sindhis and the Urdu-speaking people. “But the JI won’t allow the conspiracy to spread ethnic hatred to succeed under any circumstances.”

Without naming the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, he asked why the political parties that recently held multi-party conference are not protesting against the bill.

On December 19 the JI had held a rally titled ‘Karachi Bachao March’ on MA Jinnah Road to protest against the “controversial” LG bill. The party’s central chief Sirajul Haq had also participated in the demonstration.

Revolution

PSP chief and former Karachi mayor Mustafa Kamal has asked state institutions to pay heed to the demands of the people of the city and to stop the PPP government from committing injustices before it is too late.

Addressing the Hasan Square protest, Kamal said the people are fast losing their patience. He asked party workers to prepare themselves to lay siege on the CM House, issuing a call for a revolution against the PPP-led “oppressive” status quo on January 2.

He said the PPP’s proposed LG system is in clear violation of articles 7, 8, 32 and 140A of the constitution, and is a disgrace to democratic history. If this bill becomes a law, there will be a storm of deprivation in the city, he claimed.

He also said the CMs of all provinces have seized all the monetary resources and powers in sheer violation of the constitution, negating the true spirit of the 18th constitutional amendment.

“They don’t devolve any money or resources to district level, and then tell the deprived youth that the state is oppressing them,” he pointed out. “Come hell or high water, we will not let the tyrant rulers to further oppress the voiceless masses. It has been decided that either the rights will be granted to the oppressed or death will be embraced.”

Kamal said the PSP will not let the PPP further break Pakistan. “We will not let the emergence of yet another East Pakistan. We are loyal to the state, and we will protect the remaining integrity, unity and stability of Pakistan until our last breaths.”

He said the voices of the oppressed are not being heard by the “tyrant” rulers. “The arrogant CM who insulted Karachiites by boasting about the PPP’s majority will very soon witness a storm of noble protesters outside his house, and they will let him know about the real headcount of Karachi.”

He also said they have nothing to lose. “Now it’s either you or us. When noble people stand up for their rights, no one is more dangerous than them.” Talking about the PPP chief, he said: “The Oxford-educated feudal Bilawal Zardari is more corrupt and brutal than his forefathers. An Oxford education didn’t affect the feudal mindset of Bilawal Zardari.”

He also said: “We need control of our water, not just its availability. We need administrative control of our roads, not just their availability. We need administrative control of our transport department, not just transport facilities. We need authority over our hospitals and educational institutions, not just their availability. Now the rulers have to devolve powers to all the villages and goths of Pakistan.”

He further said: “If the institutions don’t take the grim issue seriously, there will be ethnic riots on the city’s water lines. When the so-called democracy of the PPP is toppled, they run towards the policymakers of the US and Britain, and cry for their support in the name of democracy.”

He asked if PPP leaders inform the US and Britain about the fact that the CM is in charge of garbage collection, hospitals, roads and water. “Certainly not! If they speak the truth, the US and Britain will insult them and throw such democracy into their faces.”

The PSP chief said that for the past 70 years a Sindhi has been the CM of Sindh and a Baloch has been the CM of Balochistan, but when it comes to giving rights, they say that Punjab, the establishment and the federation are snatching the rights of the minor provinces.

“The Rs10.242 trillion that the PPP’s successive provincial governments received from the federation under the National Finance Commission, the CM must first give an account of it.” He said that now is the final battle, and that the rights of the oppressed will be granted at any cost, adding that the PPP is working against the country.

“Today is the last protest of its kind. It’s Mustafa Kamal who will take the lead, take a bullet to the chest first and not let the youth of Karachi be killed by sitting in London.” He pointed out that the MQM used to surrender on a phone call of Rehman Malik. “The MQM, the champion of strikes, didn’t hold a single protest against the snatching of all the powers and resources.”