'A day that will live in infamy': Australian media slam Clarke and Co for dismal Ashes effort

Australia’s stunning dismissal for 60 runs on day one of the fourth Ashes test prompted incredulous headlines in local newspapers on Friday along with calls for the citizenship to be stripped from the entire team. “What a disgrace,” was a front-page headline on Sydney’s Daily Telegraph, above a picture of embattled Australia captain Michael Clarke. [caption id=“attachment_2382748” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Stuart Broad created history as Australia suffered one of their worst days in Ashes. AFP[/caption] “We’ll let you choose the headline: Embarrassed, Demolished, Humiliated,” the tabloid offered on its back page. After losing the toss, Australia were bowled out in a record 18.3 overs at Trent Bridge, with England paceman Stuart Broad taking an astonishing personal best haul of 8-15. England’s batsmen marched to 274-4 at stumps, putting the home side within reach of sealing the five-test series 3-1. The brevity of Australia’s innings prompted derision on social media, with Antony Green, an election analyst with state broadcaster ABC, noting the entire ball-by-ball summary could fit in the 140-character limit of a tweet on Twitter. The Australian newspaper described the Nottingham nightmare as a “Trent Bridge Horror Show”. “Before lunch, Australia had already been Broadsided. By stumps their Ashes campaign was all but Rooted,” said the Courier Mail online. “Not since Australia stuttered to 58 in 1936 have they suffered a worse Ashes collapse.” Ben Horne from Sydney’s Daily Telegraph said Australian cricket now “faces a mass cleanout”. “This is as bad as it gets, in the only series Australians genuinely care about,” Horne added. [caption id=“attachment_2381148” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Michael Clarke looks to avoid an unwanted record for an Aussie captain on English soil. Reuters[/caption] Clarke, who last week insisted he would keep playing after this Ashes series, made only 10 runs in the lamentable innings, prompting Herald columnist Peter FitzSimons to call on him to quit. “After a debacle like this – all out for 60; Australia humiliated to historical proportions; the Ashes lost; dead lucky to push the English into the third day; and reduced to doing a victory lap if we win so much as the toss before the fifth Test – someone has to pay the piper,” he wrote Melbourne’s The Age newspaper said England had humiliated Australia “on a first day that will live in infamy”. “The details of Australia’s so-called first innings need occupy no more space than it did time,” Age columnist Greg Baum wrote. “All out 60. Sixty! It’s not even much of a footy score. Top score, extras, bless them.” Three of Australia’s top order batsmen were dismissed for ducks, with captain Clarke holing out for 10 with an ill-advised slash at a Broad delivery that was caught in the slips. Clarke later remarked that his shot was “live by the sword, die by the sword”. Despite 34-year-old Clarke’s record, FitzSimons said Australia cannot keep selecting a player who doesn’t score runs and it was clear that “Pup”, as Clarke is known, was now an “Old Dog who has no new tricks”. “Michael, it’s over. You’ve been an extraordinary player, the best of your generation. You’ve been a great servant of the game in general, and Australian cricket in particular.” “But … it’s over.” Pundits suggested he should rather fall on the sword, having already demoted himself to fifth in the order after a wretched series. “Clarke vowed earlier this week he would not be retiring after the five-test series,” cricket writer Peter Lalor said in The Australian. “The reality is the calls for him to do so will grow louder with every failure.” The selectors also came in for criticism for dropping all-rounder Mitchell Marsh in favour of his brother Shaun, a plan seemingly to add depth to a batting order that has appeared flaky for most of the series. Batting at four in Clarke’s usual spot, Shaun Marsh was caught behind for a fourth-ball duck. Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop was asked whether the team should have their citizenship revoked in the wake of the rout. “Yes, that has crossed my mind,” she quipped. With REUTERS and AFP inputs