Former England captain Michael Atherton has delivered a blunt and urgent warning to the current England squad, stating that falling into a 2-0 deficit in the ongoing Ashes series in Australia would mean the urn is as good as lost.
The Perth Collapse and the Brisbane Imperative
This stark assessment comes after England's dramatic eight-run defeat in the first Test at Perth, where a batting collapse handed Australia a 1-0 lead. Atherton, speaking on Sky Cricket, emphasised that the second Test at Brisbane's Gabba, starting December 4, is now a must-win encounter for the visitors.
"The omens are not necessarily in their favour but they have to bounce back," Atherton stated. He elaborated with a grim historical reality for English teams down under: "If you go 2-0 down here in Australia, that’s the Ashes as good as done because England don’t generally win that many Tests down under and they certainly don’t win three on the bounce."
Finding Hope in Perth's Ruins and Aussie Vulnerabilities
Despite the dire warning, Atherton pointed to flickers of hope from the Perth match that England can use as a foundation. He noted that by lunch on the second day, England was dominating the game, with statistical models giving them a 75% chance of victory. However, the match unravelled over two sessions.
"They’ll try and draw on the bits of good news that came out of the Perth game," he said. "They’ll hope to play a bit better, certainly with the bat. They need to bat a whole lot better than they did there and try and exploit some vulnerabilities in this Australian team."
Atherton believes that while the challenge is immense, weaknesses in the Australian lineup can still be targeted if England elevates their performance significantly from the first Test.
Cummins' Absence: A Silver Lining for England?
In a significant development for the crucial Gabba clash, Australia will again be without their captain and premier fast bowler, Pat Cummins. Cummins was not named in the squad for the day-night Test, continuing his absence due to back soreness that first emerged during Australia's tour of the West Indies in July.
This absence removes a major threat from the Australian attack and could provide England's batters with a slightly less daunting prospect as they seek to rectify their Perth failures and level the series before it slips beyond reach.
