Ashes 2021: Shane Warne 'unamused' with Hobart hosting historic series finale; here's why

Former Australian cricketer Shane Warne, who had previously expressed his displeasure with the decision to move the Ashes finale to Hobart, now appears to have embraced Cricket Australia's step, calling it "great for the people of Hobart." After talks with Western Australian officials failed to generate anything tangible, Cricket Australia confirmed on Saturday that Hobart will host the fifth Test match of the ongoing Ashes series next month. Warne took to social media to support the decision and hoped for record attendance for a Test match in Hobart.

In response to a remark by former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who praised Cricket Australia for moving the Ashes finale from Perth to Hobart, Warne urged the Hobart fans to break the crowd record for a Test match at Bellerive Oval. "Agree Ponto. Great for the people of Hobart. Always, put on a good week down there & spoil everyone. Let’s beat the record crowd for a test match down there (29,187). Come on Hobart let’s do this," Warne said in his tweet. 

Warne has previously voiced his opposition to the Ashes final being moved to Hobart, citing low attendance in the state's prior contests. Earlier, Tasmania Premier Peter Gutwein had said that the attendance capacity for the last Ashes Test would be restricted to 14,000 as a precautionary step to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak if the match is moved to Hobart. Warne said he wouldn't have moved the Test to Hobart as the stadium there can't fit all the fans, including those who will come from different parts of the country and the world. 

Ashes Series

Coming back to the first Ashes Test match, Australia won the game by 9 wickets after chasing down a low target of just 20 runs on Day 4. Bowling first, Australia demolished England for a low total of 147 runs in the first innings. Jos Buttler top-scored for the visiting side with 39 off 58 balls. Haseeb Hameed, Ollie Pope, and Chris Woakes were the other contributors for England, hitting 25, 35, and 21 runs, respectively. Pat Cummins bowling in his debut Test match as Australian captain picked a fifer to kickstart his journey as his side's new skipper.

In reply, Australia scored 425 runs courtesy of some brilliant batting by Travis Head, who made a stylish comeback into the Australian Test squad by hitting a magnificent 152 off 148 balls. David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne also scored a half-century each for Australia before being dismissed for 94 and 74 runs, respectively. Australia's second innings saw Marcus Harris open the innings alongside Alex Carey. The duo chased down 20 runs in 5.1 overs. 

Image: AP