Glenn McGrath makes bold Ashes prediction after Australia thrash England at Edgbaston
Former Australia pacer has been called out many times for his predictions regarding Australia's tours but this time, he wanted to wait for the first Ashes Test to end before saying something and now that it is over, McGrath's prediction is out.
And, it is a bold one.
The 49-year-old said that Australia will whitewash England in the five-match series.
"I wanted to wait until the first Test to make my prediction this time. I'll go for 5-0 to Australia," said McGrath to BBC Test match special.
If Australia's power-packed display in Birmingham is anything to go by, the possibility of a 5-0 scoreline is not that far-fetched.
Australia won the first Ashes Test by a huge margin of 251 runs on Monday after dismissing England for 146 in its second innings on the final day.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon was often unplayable with 6/49 and passed 350 Test wickets in a remarkable turnaround for the Australians, who had been reduced to 122/8 in their first innings at a hostile Edgbaston.
England's instinctive batting aggression paid huge dividends in its Cricket World Cup title last month, including a semifinal win over Australia in Birmingham, but the switch from white to red ball is proving a tough challenge so far against its well-prepared opponent.
Australia even had the luxury of declaring at 487-7 in its second innings on Sunday to set England an unlikely winning target of 398.
"I love playing cricket here in England. The atmosphere's always amazing, and the boys turned up and played a really good game of cricket," man-of-the-match Smith said. "To go 1-0 up in the series is a big boost."
England had taken a 90-run lead after the first innings with 374 in reply to Australia's 284. But Smith's centuries in each innings (144 and 142) proved far too much for a humbled England, especially without its record test wicket-taker Anderson able to bowl after the opening session.
The second of five tests starts at Lord's on August 14.
(With inputs from AP)
