Whateley: The one mistake Aussies have made this Ashes

Gerard Whateley thinks Australia has made only one glaring mistake this Ashes series.

While players have made individual mistakes, Whateley thinks that the side’s leadership has only really failed once, proving how good the home side has been run this summer.

That big misstep, in Whateley’s opinion, was failing to open the bowling with Scott Boland in the fourth innings at the MCG.

Boland took 2/29 in England’s chase from 9 overs, but was only brought on once England were 2/70, needing only 105 to win.

If Boland bowled earlier, Whateley thinks it could have made a big difference for the Aussies as the Victorian was able to restrict runs and get the most movement out of the deck of all bowlers.

“So good have they been, I reckon the only mistake they've made for the whole series was they were far too slow getting Boland into the attack in the fourth innings,” Whateley said on SEN Cricket.

“There was 70 on the board chasing 175 before Boland came on. 

“That just stood out so far, which tells you that they have made such good decisions the whole way through. 

“They should have opened with Boland in that innings given the circumstances, they couldn't leak runs. 

“They ended up opening with Boland at the Gabba and opening it with Neser at the MCG, so I think if you took a step back, you'd go, ‘They got that a bit wrong’.

“With only 175 on the board, that was very peculiar. They needed Boland to open and you would have got two spells out of him.

“But I think so well planned and executed have they been, you can pick the one mistake that they made, and point to it.”

While Australia has been particularly well managed this summer, Whateley believes that the questions surrounding the side leading into the series still remain relatively the same.

“I think it's been excellent, but nothing is solved in Australian cricket,” Whateley said.

“There aren't generational cricket cricketers who have suddenly revealed themselves this summer. So the search goes on. 

“But I think what we should all feel comfortable and confident in is Sheffield Shield is doing its job at the moment. 

“It's a brilliant competition that is preparing players to step into Test cricket and immediately perform, and I think we've seen that in each team that has been selected.

“That's why we have declared in the past that the Sheffield Shield is the best domestic competition in the world. I think we should feel confident in that. 

“If you are able to succeed there, you can usually perform at the next level.”

The fifth and final Test of the Ashes series begins at the SCG on January 4. Listen to every ball LIVE on SEN - your home of cricket.