England blasted for 'utterly horrendous' batting

Australia gifted fans 10 English wickets to start the Boxing Day Test.

With the late departure of David Warner (38 off 42) and a bizarre finger injury to Marcus Harris, Australia find themselves at 1-61 at stumps.

The hosts will resume their chase tomorrow trailing by 124 runs with Harris (20) and Nathan Lyon (0) at the crease.

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England capitulated once again this Ashes series and the heat is well and truly on some key batters for their blatant failings.

Social media erupted following the cheap dismissals of Joe Root (50), Ben Stokes (25) and Jos Buttler (3) before the tea break on Day 1 at the MCG.

With England's captain (Root) and vice-captain (Buttler) both gone within 46 overs, it seemed inevitable that a middle-order batting collapse was about to be triggered.

Viewers could not believe their eyes as three influential players squandered opportunities to keep their series alive with poor shot selection.

Root was the first of the trio to throw away his wicket as Mitchell Starc and Alex Carey combined. Starc found his outside edge and Carey took the catch behind the sticks to send Root packing in the over after reaching his third half-century of the series.

High hopes were then placed on the batting partnership of Stokes and Jonny Bairstow to rescue their innings by holding till stumps.

But it was not to be as Cameron Green streamed in with a shorter delivery which Stokes unusually ramped to Lyon at point.

Then, in the final over of the session, Buttler sent a Lyon delivery high to mid-wicket where debutant Scott Boland was able to take a straightforward catch.

Leaving England positioned at 6-128, the latest bout of underwhelming performances with the bat paint a bleak picture as England battles to keep the urn within reach.

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