Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed his bewilderment over England's cricketing future following their comprehensive 4-1 series defeat to Australia in the 2025-26 Ashes. Despite high hopes pinned on their aggressive 'Bazball' approach, England's tour Down Under ended with a familiar pattern of Australian dominance, barring a solitary victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Ashwin's 'Man-to-Man' Analysis of the Series
Ashwin drew a football analogy to dissect England's performance, suggesting a player-for-player comparison revealed a significant missed opportunity. "I wonder what is next for England," Ashwin stated. "If we do a man-to-man marking, as it's done in football, when England got into the shores they would have told themselves... this is probably a very good England side against not probably one of the best Australian sides."
He emphasised that Australia fielded a weakened bowling attack throughout the series. Key spearhead Josh Hazlewood missed the entire series, while captain Pat Cummins and premier spinner Nathan Lyon were absent for the majority of the contests due to injuries. Ashwin pointed to the performances of backup bowlers like Michael Neser, who took crucial wickets including a brilliant caught-and-bowled to dismiss Joe Root in Sydney, and Scott Boland, who played all five Tests despite lacking prior experience of such a workload.
A Lost Opportunity and the 'Bazball' Conundrum
According to Ashwin, England will deeply regret not capitalising on facing what he termed an "almost a second-string attack." He indicated that the team's leadership, specifically coach Brendon McCullum, believes their much-discussed aggressive methods are not fundamentally flawed but require refinement. "Brendon McCullum said our methods weren't wrong but only to refine it. He feels they need a tweak here and there. I don't think he thinks the methods need a change," Ashwin added, summarising the post-series introspection within the English camp.
Backing for ECB's Robert Key Amid Scrutiny
Ashwin also offered support for England Cricket Board (ECB) managing director Robert Key, who has been a staunch supporter of the current team management. Acknowledging that leaders often bear the brunt of criticism when results are poor, Ashwin defended Key's vision. "Robert Key has always backed people. As far as I'm concerned, Rob Key has done quite a good job. But it happens that if a company doesn't perform well, CEO is often the target. I feel Robert Key is a man with good vision, composure and stability," he remarked.
The crushing defeat in Sydney, which Australia won by five wickets to seal the series 4-1, has sparked intense debate about the sustainability of England's high-risk style in the longest format, especially in overseas conditions. Ashwin's comments underscore a pivotal moment for English cricket as it searches for answers after another disappointing Ashes campaign in Australia.
