England’s Ashes 2025-26 campaign in Australia is headed for another tragic end, with the famous vase once again out of their reach. Ben Stokes and Co. are already under a lot of pressure after losing the first two Tests and the ongoing third Test in Adelaide has made the situation worse for the touring team.
Australia are almost certain to retain the trophy thanks to Travis Head’s brilliant century on the third day of the ongoing third Ashes 2025-26 Test at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide. With a huge lead of 356 runs and six wickets still in hand, Australia is all set to hand England another big defeat in the Ashes series.
Baseball stumbles in Australia and England heads for another Ashes defeat
Ben Stokes and his team arrived in Australia full of confidence with their aggressive baseball style, which has worked well in other conditions. But on fast, bouncy Australian pitches, his famous buzzball approach has broken down. The English batsmen have struggled to balance attack with patience, and quick collapse has become yet another thing for this team in the ongoing Ashes 2025-26.
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If England lose the ongoing Adelaide Test in the five-match Test series, it will be their fourth consecutive Test series defeat in Australia, and their winless streak will extend to 17 matches. And if that happens, major changes to the testing setup will be inevitable.
Reacting to the current situation, former England captain Michael Vaughan believes that this is not the time to panic. He warned the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) against following the path of the past, where they often brought in complete turnarounds after Ashes defeats to Australia.
A bad experience is better than no experience: Michael Vaughan
The commentator has indirectly blamed head coach Brendon McCullum for this crisis. Michael Vaughan said that the current English Test team has talent and skill, but they need good coaching, better management and better preparation to be successful. Michael Vaughan also stressed that bad experiences also help players grow, especially in challenging places like Australia.
Michael Vaughan said in the Ashes debrief on BBC iPlayer: “English cricket often works in a four-year cycle, home and away Ashes series. One or two players need to go because they are not good enough at this level, but many of them have enough talent.
If they are properly trained and managed and given the right kind of preparation, they will be fine in four years. The only way I can see English cricket possibly being competitive in Australia is if they stick with some players who have experience. A bad experience is better than no experience.”
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Michael Vaughan urges England to learn from pain
The cricket pundit recalled England’s 2002–03 tour of Australia when their only win helped them learn lessons that shaped their future. Even if they lose the Ashes 2025-26 series, Vaughan believes that the upcoming Tests in Melbourne and Sydney will still mean a lot for the touring team.
However, former England captain Michael Vaughan does not think senior players like Ben Stokes or Joe Root will return for another Ashes tour in Australia. Vaughan signed off by saying:
“I look back at 2002-03; we were 4-0 down and won in Sydney. Winning that one game taught me a lot about the next few years. England can’t think that the next two games won’t get anything done. If it goes wrong, and it looks like it might, then Melbourne and Sydney still have an opportunity to learn the next time they come or the next time they play Australia.”
