England travelled to Australia believing they could finally end a long Ashes drought away from home, but their confidence has been badly shaken after heavy eight-wicket losses in Perth and Brisbane. After only six days of cricket, Ben Stokes’ side already finds itself chasing the series.

Much of the focus has fallen on England’s Bazball approach. The attacking style brought early success when Brendon McCullum and Stokes took charge in 2022, lifting a struggling team. However, in Australia it has looked rigid and risky, with England failing to adapt to conditions. Since mid-2023, their Test record has dipped, raising questions about whether the approach has gone too far.

England’s strategy has also been exposed. While they focused on pace for Australian pitches, conditions in the first two Tests rewarded traditional seam bowling. Australia benefited from this balance, even without several senior bowlers, while England failed to make the most of similar opportunities.

Preparation has been another major issue. England played only one warm-up match before the series and entered the Brisbane pink-ball Test with limited experience under lights. A lack of match sharpness showed as dropped catches and basic errors cost them dearly. The decision not to schedule another tour match before the third Test has also drawn criticism.

Discipline has been missing both with bat and ball. England’s batters took unnecessary risks, especially against Australia’s bigger boundaries, while bowlers struggled to maintain pressure. Selection choices have also raised eyebrows, with underperforming players kept in the side despite continued failures.

With Australia leading 2-0 and momentum firmly on their side, England now face a steep uphill battle to rescue their Ashes campaign.