England lost the Ashes opener despite gaining a handy first innings lead of 40 runs.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan didn’t mince his words as he ripped into the national team’s approach after their eight-wicket defeat in the first Ashes Test against Australia at Perth, cautioning that the team cannot rely solely on an all-out attacking philosophy if they want to compete Down Under.
The Three Lions squandered advantage of gaining a handy first innings lead of 40 runs in the Ashes opener as they were bowled out for 164 in their second essay.
Chasing 205 to win, the hosts stormed to the target in just 28.2 overs as Travis Head smashed a breathtaking 123 off 83 balls to finish the match in two days.
Reflecting on England’s collapse, Vaughan questioned the shot selection against Mitchell Starc, who returned with a 10-wicket match haul.
“I’m looking at this England team and wondering why they played so many shots against a world-class bowler like Starc,” Vaughan said. “He bowled some good balls, but there were far too many mistakes.”
Vaughan argued that England’s stubborn refusal to adapt their batting approach brought about their downfall in the opening Ashes Test.
“If England are going to win in Australia, they cannot play just one way,” he said. “You cannot win down under by playing only this expansive, ultra-risky style. There is a reason it has never been done before.”
“They have to learn, and they have to learn quickly, how to go up and down in the gears. You cannot drive expansively at everything at the start of an innings. That is why they are in this position.”
While acknowledging that England’s approach can be exciting to watch, Vaughan stressed that entertainment means nothing without results. “For two days we have been royally entertained,” he said. “But I would like to be entertained for four days, not two. To bat only 67 overs in a Test match is not good enough.”
According to Vaughan, the current England squad has enough depth and skill to challenge Australia but emphasized that intelligence and adaptability remain non-negotiable.
“This England team have the tools to be really competitive,” he said. “But you cannot be competitive without brains. You cannot just play one way. They tried that, and today they came unstuck.”
Vaughan urged England’s batters to honestly evaluate their decisions after a performance he fears could set the tone for the series if not corrected.
“If they are not sitting down as a batting unit and going through every mistake they made this week, they are going to get absolutely hammered. They have to learn from what went wrong.”
England will look to regroup and reassess their batting plans before they face Australia in second Ashes Test, starting on December 4 in Brisbane.