Ashes news: Five takeaways from the second Test as Australia outsmart weak England at The Gabba

England are on the verge of yet another series defeat Down Under following the second Ashes Test at The Gabba, where Australia claimed an eight-wicket victory to go 2-0 up in the series.

With three Tests remaining, victory is not guaranteed for the Aussies, but it does feel like an inevitability following two comfortable wins against a touring side that continues to disappoint.

So, what did we learn from the second Test? And what does it mean for England as they head to Adelaide?

Here, Sports News Blitz writer Joseph Ould examines five takeaways from Brisbane.

Root amongst the greats

Let’s start with the positives because there aren’t many for England…

Joe Root finally proved to Australia what the rest of the world already knew, his maiden century on Aussie soil putting to bed any doubts of his standing amongst the all-time greats.

Root’s unbeaten 138 in the first innings of the Test was every bit as classy as we have come to expect from England’s number four as he helped take his side to a score of 334 all out.

The Yorkshireman’s 40th Test hundred puts him just one shy of Australia’s own Ricky Ponting, who sits third on the list of century-makers behind Jacques Kallis and Sachin Tendulkar.

In truth, as is often the case, Root looked like he was batting on a different pitch to the rest of the English top order, with Zak Crawley the only other England batter to get past 50.

If England are to put up more of a fight in what remains of the series, they’ll need others to help out Root and chip in with some big runs of their own.

Starc breaks left-arm record

Just as he did in Perth, Mitchell Starc once again dominated proceedings, picking up eight wickets in the match.

He ripped through the England top order, dismissing Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Harry Brook in the first innings.

The wicket of Brook saw Starc make history as he overtook Wasim Akram to become the all-time leading Test wicket-taker amongst left-armers.

Australia were without Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, but they didn’t miss them as Starc continued to lead the hosts’ bowling lineup impeccably.

And if his bowling exploits weren’t enough to sicken the England supporters, Starc made a brilliant 77 with the bat, looking more like a seasoned top-order batter than a man who came in at number nine.

Unsurprisingly, Starc was named the player of the match for the second time in the series.

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More ineffective English bowling

On a pitch that was offering more than a little bit of encouragement for bowlers who pitched the ball on a challenging length, England seemed unable to trouble the Australian batters.

After Travis Head and Jake Weatherald got Australia off to a flying start, the minds of the English bowlers appeared scrambled as they struggled to hit a line and length consistently.

The Australian bowlers had shown that pitching the ball up was the most effective way of picking up wickets – although England’s reckless batting also helped – yet the tourists seemed obsessed with bowling short.

Uppercut, followed by pull shot, followed by uppercut, followed by pull shot then ensued as Australia faced the short ball with ease, racking up 511 runs in their first innings.

England’s bowlers will be scarred after their showing in Brisbane but must put that behind them as they move on to Adelaide.

More-effective bowling plans need to be in place or else the Aussies will continue to make runs at ease.

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Controversial comments from McCullum

In the wake of another disappointing result, England head coach Brendon McCullum’s comments have not gone down well back home.

Responding to questions regarding England’s preparation, McCullum claimed that his side may have overtrained.

Speaking at The Gabba, McCullum said: “If anything, we trained too much. We had five intense training sessions leading into this game.

“Something as a coach you have to be aware of is sometimes there is a tendency to overdo things to make up for it.”

These comments have sparked much debate, with many fans still feeling that England have underprepared for this series.

After the game, skipper Ben Stokes also made headlines with his comments saying the dressing room “isn’t a place for weak men”.

Stokes likewise questioned the mentality of his side when the game is in the balance.

It remains to be seen whether or not Stokes’ comments can help inspire his side to more competitive performances.

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What next for England?

The Ashes now moves to the Adelaide Oval for the third Test with Australia needing just one more win to confirm another victory at home.

Cummins is set to make his return to the team, further strengthening an Australian attack that is already dominating the series.

As for England, Mark Wood has been ruled out of the rest of the series, with changes surely coming in the bowling lineup.

Ultimately, the equation is simple – England must win all three remaining Tests if they are to regain the Ashes from their hosts and claim an improbable series victory.

MORE FROM JOSEPH OULD: The Ashes news: Australia vs England – Five questions that will decide the series Down Under