Former England captain Michael Vaughan criticised England after Australia secured an 82-run win in the third Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval on December 21. The result gave Australia a 3-0 lead in the five-Test series and confirmed the Ashes trophy. Vaughan said England’s aggressive Bazball approach backfired on the tour. He highlighted that the series ended inside 11 days, underlining the scale of the defeat. The third Test finished on Day 5, while the opening two ended in 2 and 4 days.
“The whole approach of this England side has been badly exposed on this Ashes tour, and you don’t have to look far into history to know that heads will roll after a defeat like this. In the end, with defeat inside 11 days, it’s the worst I can remember in Australia. England have had a cockiness about them for three years, and the entire cricketing world has wanted to shut them up as a result. This tour has been humbling for them,” Vaughan wrote in his column for The Telegraph.
Michael Vaughan then added that Australia appeared surprised by how vulnerable England looked despite having quality players. He questioned the long-held belief that aggressive cricket guarantees success in Australian conditions.
READ ALSO | Geoffrey Boycott Calls for Brendon McCullum’s Sacking After Ashes Loss
“Aussies are laughing. They can’t believe how fragile this team have been given the quality in the side. England have had a message shoved down their throat for four years that this style would win in Australia. I don’t know where that came from. The only teams I’ve seen win in Australia have been those willing to do the hard yards, grind the opposition down, and have a bowling unit that bowled with great discipline. We have neither,” the former cricketer concluded.
This article follows WicketWatcher’s editorial standards. Learn more in our Editorial Policy or report an issue via our Corrections Policy.