After comparing the Ashes (England vs. Australia) and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (India vs. Australia), former England captain Michael Vaughan received a lot of backlash on social media.
Ahead of England’s five-match Test series against Australia, Vaughan made the following remarks: “The Ashes is the biggest contest in cricket, even though India and Australia have produced competitive cricket in recent years.” While the number of India vs. Australia matches has increased, Vaughan disclosed that the Ashes build-up is enormous.
“The recent Australia vs. India series has undoubtedly been more competitive, but don’t tell me they are more important than Ashes. There is a tremendous build-up for this Ashes down in Oz. For an IND vs. Oz series, you don’t get that,” Vaughan remarked.
Fans criticized him for making unwarranted analogies as his remarks swiftly went popular on X. His assertion regarding the superiority of the Ashes was ridiculed by many, who pointed out that England hasn’t been competitive in Australia for more than ten years.
Vaughan was reminded by social media users that England’s most recent Test victory on Australian soil occurred in January 2011, when they famously won the series 3-1. Since then, England has suffered three terrible tours, losing to Australia 13-0 overall. Following a 4-0 defeat on their most recent trip in the 2021–2022 season, Joe Root resigned as Test captain.
English cricket underwent a significant transformation as a result of that terrible loss. Rob Key was named managing director of men’s cricket by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), who subsequently hired Brendon McCullum as head coach and gave Ben Stokes the captaincy.
Vaughan was upbeat about England’s prospects under Stokes despite their dismal performance in Australia, stating that this series might be crucial for his captaincy.
They should get a prize, in my opinion. Would I take two-all now, really? Let’s be honest, probably. The only series in which I have witnessed England’s victory is 2010–11. In 2002–03, we won one Test match, and in 2010–11, we won three. Since then, we have not won a Test. He stated at a Viagogo event that he was “looking at growth in terms of what English cricket is delivering and, crikey, if you could get a two-all series, you’d obviously take that.”
He also emphasized the need of bowlers who can strike reliable lines and lengths and cautioned England against depending only on pace to win in Australia. With Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Brydon Carse, and Gus Atkinson all healthy, England will have its most balanced and quick bowling attack in years at the upcoming Ashes, which first up in Perth on November 21, 2025.
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