England are enduring a tough time in the ongoing Ashes series against Australia at home. While the hosts lost the opening Test at Edgbaston by two wickets, they suffered a 43-run defeat in the second Test at Lord’s.

The Three Lions now need to win the remaining three Tests to avoid losing the Ashes series at home since 2001.

After the two successive defeats, former captain Kevin Pietersen has said that the Ben Stokes-led side is not walking the walk while they are acting like the greatest team around.  

“If you're going to talk the talk, you have to walk the walk, and this England cricket team isn't walking the walk. They’re acting like they're the greatest team around, but they’re currently on course to be the first England team to lose at home to Australia since 2001,” Pietersen wrote in his column for Betway Insider.

He further said that England players are putting themselves under pressure by talking too much.

“After the first Test match, Ollie Robinson said that they felt like they won the game, Jimmy Anderson was complaining that the wicket was like kryptonite, and then you've got Zak Crawley saying they’re going to win the next one by 150 runs. Leading into Headingley, all of this needs to stop. The pressure that they're putting themselves under by speaking that way and using that language is unnecessary. It's not helping in any way, shape, or form,” he added.

According to Pietersen, England don’t have that mongrel in them unlike the Aussies, who look to destroy the opposition.

“When they (Australia) get their foot on the throat, they will absolutely push and push and push to destroy you. That's how they play this sport. They have that mongrel in them. I don't see the mongrel in the England cricket team. There's so much relaxed talk. Unfortunately, all that matters is winning,” he remarked.

The third Ashes Test is slated to get underway on July 6 at Headingley.