The Ashes Briefing: Australia complete emphatic series win, but will England accept they must adapt?
SOURCE:The Athletic|BY:Tim Spiers, Cameron Ponsonby and more
The ECB have confirmed they have started a 'thorough review' of a disastrous tour with the 4-1 series loss confirmed by defeat in Sydney
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There was drama to enjoy on the last day of the Ashes, but no sting in the tail as far as the result was concerned. Australia’s dominance was confirmed mid-afternoon as Alex Carey’s cover drive scuttled into the boundary rope.
The hosts were home by five wickets with the series convincingly claimed 4-1, writes Dominic Fifield.
For England, a tour their coach Brendon McCullum had described as “the biggest of our lives” has proved a dreadful anti-climax with so many of their wounds self-inflicted. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have already begun their inquest into what went wrong, with the captain Ben Stokes and McCullum, who both aspire to remain in their roles, acknowledging the need for improvement.
McCullum preached “evolution” in his post-match assessment. Stokes, who will return to England to undergo scans on the groin injury that prevented him bowling on Thursday, admitted his side had played “three out of 10 cricket” at times over the series.
He spied some positives, as well as familiar frailties, at the SCG where Australia endured a wobble in their run chase. They slipped to 121-5 when Marnus Labuschagne was run out, still 39 shy of their target, on a day when:
Jacob Bethell was eventually dismissed for 154 as England set Australia 160 to win.
Mitchell Starc claimed the last two wickets to end with 31 for the series.
Brydon Carse clashed with Jake Weatherald after the opener survived an appeal for a catch behind.
Josh Tongue took three wickets on a wearing pitch before Carey and Cameron Green saw Australia home.
Here, Tim Spiers and Cameron Ponsonby dissect the key talking points on the final day of the 2025-26 Ashes.
Alex Carey and Cameron Green hug after completing Australia’s five-wicket win in Sydney (David Gray/AFP via Getty Images)
Caught Carey, bowled Starc
There have been three star performers for Australia across this series. While Travis Head has punctuated the Ashes with centuries in the first, third and fifth matches, it is Starc and Carey who have been his most able assistants.
The first two matches of the series were dominated by Starc.
Shorn of his trusty fast-bowling partners in Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, he was the front man of the attack and single-handedly dismantled England: 10 wickets in Perth, then eight in Brisbane.
For the first three innings of the series, he took a wicket in the opening over. Zak Crawley went for a pair in Perth, then Ben Duckett edged behind in Brisbane. With the bat, he became a thorn in England’s side as he contributed two half-centuries from No 9, scoring vital runs in both Australia’s second and third wins of the series.
In all, he finished with 31 wickets at an average of 19.93, and 156 runs at 26 — a better batting average than all but four of England’s players.
Mitchell Starc finished the series with 31 wickets (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Carey, also, has been spectacular.
For most of history, being a wicketkeeper has been filed under the same category as being a referee. You’re at your best when you’re not noticed. But Carey flipped that notion on its head as Australia launched a plan that involved him standing up to the stumps to Scott Boland and Michael Neser, bowling in the low 80mphs, across the series.
His display in Brisbane was described by former Aussie wicketkeeper Brad Haddin as the best he’d ever seen, as Carey’s liquid hands gathered all chances that came his way. In total, Carey claimed 28 dismissals in this series, one short of Haddin’s own record of the most dismissals in a series in Test history.
Alex Carey claimed 27 catches and a stumping (Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Carey wasn’t just special with the gloves, but with the bat. He made a century on his home ground in Adelaide in front of a raucous South Australia crowd. While his performances with the bat tapered off slightly in the final two matches of the series, his mark had already been made.
People don’t notice wicketkeepers. But in this series, they did.
Cameron Ponsonby
Decision-making dulls England skill set
No one gave England much of a prayer to win on Thursday afternoon in Sydney, given Australia faced a target of just 160 with a batting line-up that stretched to Beau Webster (Test average 34.68) at No 9 and Starc, who has twice reached 50 in the series, at No 10.
Plus, two England players had ruled themselves out of bowling after the first innings: Stokes because of his injured groin and Matthew Potts because of horrible inaccuracy.
Potts wasn’t trusted to bowl a single ball, meaning it was left to Tongue, Carse and three part-time spinners in Bethell, Will Jacks and Joe Root to form a bowling attack that defined the word makeshift.
And yet, depleted England had Australia a little worried when they removed five batters with the hosts still needing 39 to win.
Josh Tongue is high-fived by a helmeted Joe Root after dismissing Jake Weatherald on the stroke of lunch (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
You could tell Australia were rattled when Carey and Green found themselves running towards the same end as they dithered over a possible overthrow. They survived that buffoonery and, within a few minutes, were over the line, but England, as so often during this series, deserved credit for showing heart and character in a losing cause.
It has been ineptitude and poor decision-making that have lost England the Ashes, not a lack of skill or endeavour.
Jacks epitomised that. His baffling decision to try to hit Webster out the ground off his second ball was the lowlight of day four, and yet here he was less than 24 hours later conjuring the skill to bowl Steve Smith, one of the great batters of this or any era, through the gate. Smith is rarely dismissed by off-spinners. He looked staggered to hear the death rattle.
Steve Smith ponders how he has been bowled by Will Jacks on the fifth day (David Gray/AFP via Getty Images)
This excellent SCG surface turned on day five. A lot. Shoaib Bashir and Todd Murphy no doubt watched on with their heads in their hands when Root had it ripping square.
Carse came bounding in with his wholehearted approach, as always, leaking runs, as always. He had to be pulled away by Stokes after confronting Weatherald after the opener survived an appeal for a catch behind despite Snicko showing a tremor.
Tongue, the find of the series for England — where was he in Perth and Brisbane? — was generally on the money and removed both openers and Usman Khawaja in the 39-year-old’s final Test innings. Khawaja bowed out with 6,229 runs from his 88 Tests at 42.96. Tongue ended the series with 18 wickets at 20.11.
Effort and spirit may be a minimum requirement, but we have seen England teams throw in the towel in the past. This one never has — and that makes their downfall, which owed so much to muddled minds, even more frustrating.
Tim Spiers
Australia’s Ashes dominance is maintained
World Test Championship winners 2023, One Day International World Cup winners 2023, Ashes 2025-26 winners… there’s a reason Australia win everything.
Ahead of the series, former England bowler Stuart Broad dubbed this Australian side the worst since 2011. And the thing is, he was right. It’s just that it was still far too good for England.
Even without Cummins for four of five matches, Nathan Lyon for three and Hazlewood for the entire series, they out-bowled England by a distance. Starc rose to the occasion to lead the attack with the ball in an unparalleled manner, while Boland and Neser were relentless with their lengths.
Scott Boland took 20 wickets over the series (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
With the bat, a more fragile than usual line-up was supported by fine contributions from Head, Carey and Smith. As for the rest, for every time they ‘failed’, they still contributed. In both Brisbane and Sydney, every member of Australia’s batting line-up made double figures.
“Everyone has stood up at different times throughout the series,” Smith said following play. “Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc and Travis Head were huge standouts — and that’s what makes a good team.”
The XI that Australia fielded in the opening Test of the series had the oldest average age in a Test for almost 100 years. Khawaja sailed off into the sunset at the end of this match, Lyon will be 39 by the time the 2027 Ashes arrives, while the cartel of Cummins, Hazelwood and Starc will all be mid-to-late thirties. Smith will be 38.
There are several greats of the game in this Australian side. And whether some, or any, will be here in four years feels decidedly unlikely. But there is every chance they all arrive in England next year.
Australia haven’t won on English soil since 2001. The 2027 Ashes will be their final swansong to finally complete the set.
Cameron Ponsonby
The Australian squad pose in front of the pavilion at the SCG with the Ashes trophy (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)
Will Brendon McCullum and England adapt?
With a T20 World Cup starting early next month in Sri Lanka and India, McCullum is set to stay on for now as England coach of both the Test and white-ball teams. Yet his longer-term future remains unclear while reviews of the Ashes take place.
The big question for McCullum at the end of a dreadful series was not whether he wanted to stay on — he has already stated his desire to remain in charge — but whether he was prepared to change his famed ultra-aggressive, all-or-nothing approach to Test cricket to perhaps earn a reprieve from the ECB.
‘Bazball’, not a word McCullum would ever use, has clearly not worked in Australian conditions, or against fellow top-level opponents India. And yet the coach told the BBC’s Test Match Special that, while evolution is a target, he would not take kindly to being told what to do.
“Australia have out-batted, out-bowled and out-fielded us,” McCullum said of this series. “We’re bitterly disappointed. I’d love to carry on, I feel we’ve got some steps to take, things we can improve on. I’m all for progress and evolution in all sports. Am I (all) for being told what to do? Of course I’m not. But at the same time, I’m not thinking there won’t be areas to improve.
“Our record is what it is. It’s certainly improved from where it was (when he was appointed in 2022).”
Brendon McCullum offers his post-series assessment to journalists in Sydney (David Gray/ AFP via Getty Images)
When asked if he would commit to changing his approach if asked to by his superiors, McCullum replied: “I think you know the answer to that. You’ve got to have conviction in your methods. You’re not against evolution or progress, but you’ve got to have conviction in what you believe.
“I am not against assistance, but (I) have a firm belief in how to get the best out of these players.”
Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, was in Sydney to witness this defeat and confirmed a “thorough review” of the campaign is already underway. “This will cover tour planning and preparation, individual performance and behaviours,” he said, “and our ability to adapt and respond effectively as circumstances require.”
Stokes said he expected McCullum to be in situ when England’s Test summer begins against New Zealand in June. “He’ll be getting my full support and backing,” he said. “I absolutely love working with Baz. He’s a great man and a very good coach.”
The England captain was far harder on himself and the team than McCullum had been, conceding he had not been at the levels he’d expect “as a player or captain” and that the team were “so far below the level we can operate at”.
“It’s been down to lack of execution when it’s been required,” he said. “The squad we brought out here are the best players in England. It’s up to us to get better than we currently are.”
Ben Stokes hugs Jacob Bethell, whose excellent 154 in Sydney offers hope for England’s future (Philip Brown/Getty Images)
It took a relative newcomer in Bethell to show England’s batters how to operate in Australian conditions. Stokes hailed Bethell’s “simply outstanding” knock of 154 as “top class” and stated that he and the rest of the side can learn from the 22-year-old.
“The options he took with how Australia were bowling at him and how he was able to get through those moments were absolutely exceptional,” Stokes added. “Even myself and some of the other guys can look at that and how he applied himself at different parts in the innings and learn from how he constructed (it).
“Jacob and Joe (Root) as well were able to combat those (conditions) and reap the rewards. I hope the knock doesn’t get forgotten in the midst of a 4-1 loss in a big series.”
