Joe Root and Rory Burns have ended the year with 1708 and 530 runs but it was Extras that finished above Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler in Tests with a total of 412 runs.
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The year 2021 has been disastrous for English cricket and for their sports in general. The England football team lost the Euro final to Italy on penalties. Lewis Hamilton’s quest for an eighth F1 title was snatched away in the most dramatic circumstances. Now, the England cricket team has suffered the ultimate humiliation. The year has been bad with losses to India both away and potentially at home. They lost a series to New Zealand at home after 22 years. But, in 12 days, they have lost the Ashes after a humiliating loss at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
After losing the Brisbane Test in four days, Root’s team was thrashed in the Adelaide Test but at least Jos Buttler had shown some fight. But, in Melbourne, the visitors was bowled out for 68 despite having a deficit of 82 runs. The innings and 14-run loss was England’s 12th loss in Australia in the last 13 games. But, this one stat summed the ultimate problem for England in the year 2021.
If one looks at the batting graph of England in 2021, it represents one tall skyscraper with plenty of low-rise apartments. Joe Root is the only player who went past 1000 runs and he created history. With 1708 runs In the calendar year, Root has ended the year as the most successful England Test batter ever in a calendar year. Overall, he is third between Mohammad Yousuf (1788) and Sir Viv Richards (1710) for players with the most runs in a calendar year.
Read | England suffer innings defeat despite deficit of under 100, create unwanted record
Apart from Root, no one has come even close. Rory Burns, who struggled in the Ashes and was dropped for the Melbourne Test, managed just 530 runs. But, the next best player on the sheet for England was Extras with 412. Extras have managed to outscore the likes of Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler. One more stat compounds England’s utter failure with the bat in 2021.
England batting of 2021 in a single picture with Extras contributing 412 runs to the team. pic.twitter.com/hqmS4Ov1HT
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) December 28, 2021
The year 2021 has seen England enjoy a Duck Tales adventure to the hilt. The England cricket team registered a total of 54 ducks, which is the joint-most in a calendar year since 1998. The coincidences go deeper. In 1998, England was at the bottom of the Test ranking, with their skipper Nasser Hussain being booed by home fans after their series loss to New Zealand.
The changes that took place in the aftermath saw England evolve as a Test team. Although they struggled against Australia until 2005, they became a competent unit from 2004 onwards.
A total of 25 players registered ducks in 2021, unlike in 1998 when 28 players were dismissed for ducks. The year 2021 has been a horrible year for England and their sports. Now, they face an uphill task from avoiding an Ashes whitewash for the fourth time in history.
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