Melbourne: Australia cruised to an eight-wicket win over demoralised England with more than a day to spare Sunday to claim a 4-0 series lead and stand on the cusp of an Ashes whitewash.
Led by a century from opener Chris Rogers and a 136-run stand with Shane Watson, the Australians had few problems getting the required 201 runs on the fourth day to seal England's fate at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
England contributed to their own demise with two confidence-sapping dropped catches by skipper Alastair Cook early in the day to take all the steam out of the dispirited tourists. The two fielding blunders from the team leader were psychological body blows for England and evidence of batsman Kevin Pietersen's comments on Saturday in a television interview that the tourists were "mentally fragile".
England now face the monumental challenge of fighting off an Australian clean sweep of the series in the fifth and final Test, starting in Sydney on Friday. Playing on his home ground, veteran left-hander Rogers claimed his second Test century after scoring 110 against England in the last series earlier this year at Durham.
Rogers, 36, was out caught behind for 116 off 155 balls cutting Monty Panesar, with his team some 31 runs short of victory. At the end, Watson was unbeaten on 83 with skipper Michael Clarke not out six with Australia 231 for two.
It was the best fourth innings run chase in 51 years at the Melbourne Cricket Ground since England's 237 for three in 1962-63. While England have been on the end of heavy defeats this Test series, Sunday was a particularly dispiriting loss for England, who were well on top and led the home side by 116 with 10 wickets in hand after lunch on Saturday's third day.
Man-of-the-match Mitchell Johnson and spinner Nathan Lyon staged a dramatic turnaround, with England bowled out for 179, leaving Australia with what became a comfortable task of scoring 231 in more than two days for victory. It was Australia's fourth consecutive win over England and comes four months after they lost the last series 3-0 in England.
English heads dropped when Cook got his right hand to a snick from Rogers on 19 through slips after wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow failed to respond, and then grassed a straightforward two-handed chance from David Warner (22) off Stuart Broad.
Warner scored only three more runs before he was caught behind off Ben Stokes and Australia's first wicket came down at 64. Symbolic of England's malaise, Cook did not bring on his specialist spinner Monty Panesar until 90 minutes into the fourth day and he had little effect on stemming the Australian run flow until he finally removed Rogers.
There will be selection questions ahead of the final Ashes Test for an England team in decline with the most pressure on Panesar, Bairstow, whose technique behind the stumps was exposed, and seamer Tim Bresnan.
Under-fire Cook wants to stay England captain
1912: A selection meeting between the Australian board and players went horribly wrong as Clem Hill, the captain and player Peter McAlister had a go at each other which ended in Hill punching McAlister.
1932-33: The famous body-line series which evoked a huge controversy in the world. England bowled at the body, not to restrict but to intimidate and probably the only way to stop Don Bradman. 1946: Bradman batted uncertainly at Brisbane during the first Test, edging a ball to Jack Ikin at slip on just 28. However, he stood his ground and the umpire was forced to give him the benefit of the doubt. There's plenty to suggest that had he been given out he might well have retired; instead, he went on to make 187. Australians famously don't walk, and it was Bradman who set the tone. 1958-59: Ian Meckiff took six wickets in the second Test at Melbourne to win the game when England were convinced he was throwing the ball with his action. It's a terrible insult to be labelled a chucker, a reputation that stuck for many years. 1975: The teams coming in to play on the final day of the test found the Headingley stadium vandalised overnight by protesters campaigning for the release of convicted robber George Davis. Captains Tony Grieg and Ian Chappell both reluctantly agreed the game could not continue. 1979: During the 1979 Ashes, Dennis Lillee came out to bat sporting an aluminium bat and was adamant that he would play on despite the umpires insisting he change his chosen blade. It was not until his captain Greg Chappell intervened that Lillee conceded—by tossing his old bat to the floor in disgust.1981: The situation was so dire that Ladbrokes, the bookmakers, offered 500-1 against an England victory.Dennis Lillee and Rodney Marsh had plunged Pounds 15 with Ladbrokes for their team to lose. Their team coach driver, Peter Anonymous, had spotted the bet and collected the Pounds 7,500 winnings, from which Lillee and Marsh bought him a set of golf clubs, return air tickets to Australia and paid for his hotel accommodation. 1982: At Perth, an early incarnation of the Barmy Army jumped the hoardings, ran past Terry Alderman and slapped him on the head. Alderman, who was a feisty character, promptly gave chase and wrestled the offender to the ground, only to dislocate his own shoulder in the process. 1985: Wayne Phillips was batting on 59 trying to squeeze in a draw with just over an hour left of the last day's play when he hit one ball that crunched into the foot of Allan Lamb and popped up in the air for David Gower to take a simple catch. Phillips was given out with no clear evidence that the ball had not touched the ground.1990-91: David Gower and John Morris's attempt to lighten the mood by buzzing the team in a pair of Tiger Moths during a practice match backfired badly. Gower couldn't believe the fuss made over a bit of high jinks. 2005: Ricky Ponting’s frustration at England’s bowlers continually taking breaks from the field of play during the 2005 series boiled over at Nottingham when he was run out by substitute fielder Gary Pratt. Ponting, stormed from the pitch pointing and mouthing at the England balcony and ended up being fined 75per cent of his match fee as a result. 2007: After losing the Ashes in the year 2005 Australia were determined to get it back and Ricky Ponting's men went on to inflict the first whitewash in the Ashes since the 1920-21 series. 2009: With Jimmy Anderson and Monty Panesar fighting to get to a draw, England were accused of deliberate time-wasting by Australian captain Ricky Ponting when England skipper Andrew Strauss sent the 12th man Bilal Shafayat twice into the field of play.2013: DRS has come under the scanner after Jonathan Trott was wrongly declared out. England coach Andy Flower demanded clarification from the ICC of the rules after Jonathan Trott was given out first ball by the third umpire when it was discovered one of the HotSpot cameras was not working for the replays.2013: Australia was left fuming as England's Stuart Broad enjoyed a massive slice of luck on the third day of the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge.Despite knowing he nicked the ball, Broad continued batting. This has angered the cricketing community worldwide.
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