The timing of this series so soon after England's T20 World Cup triumph was labelled 'horrible' by Moeen Ali and the significance, or lack thereof, of this dead rubber was amplified by a sparsely-populated MCG.
At a ground that has a 100,000-capacity, only 10,406 turned up, setting a new record low at the venue for a men's ODI involving Australia.
Travis Head thumped 152 off 130 balls and David Warner 106 off 102 deliveries in a boundary-heavy 269-run opening stand in 38.1 overs, underpinning Australia's 355 for five.
Set an adjusted DLS target of 364 after rain reduced the game to 48 overs per side, England capitulated to 142 all out in 31.4 overs to lose by a record 221 runs.
There was an end-of-term feeling to England's display, with the tourists seeming lethargic after a hectic past couple of months for many in the squad, and Jos Buttler acknowledged they were subpar.
This story is from the November 23, 2022 edition of Manchester Evening News.
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This story is from the November 23, 2022 edition of Manchester Evening News.
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