ADELAIDE, Dec 21 : After taking two stunning slips catches at Adelaide Oval to hasten England’s Ashes defeat, Marnus Labuschagne did not miss the chance to stick it to Stuart Broad for a pre-series jibe about the quality of the Australian team.
Former England quick Broad had said on his podcast in October that Pat Cummins’s side were “probably the worst Australian team since 2010 when England last won”.
Ben Stokes’ side, meanwhile, were the best English team since 2010.
England last won an Ashes series Down Under in 2010/2011.
“So those things match up to the fact it’s going to be a brilliant Ashes series,” added Broad.
On Sunday, Australia beat England by 82 runs at Adelaide Oval to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.
“Being called the worst Australian team in 15 years … it’s nice to be sitting where we are now, three-nil up,” Labuschagne told ABC radio.
The Australian number three missed out with the bat in Adelaide, scoring 19 and 13, but emerged as a hero in the field in the fourth innings as England tried to chase down 435 for victory.
He flew for a fantastic one-handed catch on day four to dismiss number three Ollie Pope, and repeated the trick on day five to have Will Jacks caught for 47 nicking Mitchell Starc.
The dismissal of all-rounder Jacks left England 337 for eight, effectively ending their hopes of pulling off a miracle win.
Labuschagne underlined the cricket adage that “catches win matches”, while England counted the cost of dropped chances in Adelaide.
Harry Brook dropped Usman Khawaja in the slips when he was on single-figures in the first innings, and the lefthander went on to score 82.
Brook also put down a more difficult chance in the gully with Travis Head for 99 on day three. The reprieved opener finished with 170.
