England's hopes of squaring the Ashes series have been left in ruins after a calamitous third day at the Gabba, with former greats unleashing scathing criticism of a side accused of failing to learn from its mistakes.
A Golden Opportunity Squandered
The tourists arrived in Brisbane facing an Australian bowling attack missing three of its modern-day giants: Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Nathan Lyon. The door was ajar for England to seize the initiative, but instead, they have fallen catastrophically short. After being bowled out for a paltry total, they trailed by a massive 177 runs on the first innings. By stumps on day three, their second innings was floundering at 6/134, still 43 runs behind Australia's first-innings score.
Former captain Michael Vaughan did not hold back in his assessment, telling the BBC, "Let's just mention this Australian team have got over a thousand wickets not playing. This is their second string." The commentary box was a chorus of condemnation. Michael Atherton described it as a "gruesome day" for England, while Nasser Hussain declared they were "out-bowled, out-batted, out-caught, out-thought."
Technical Failures and Stubborn Tactics
The problems were laid bare in the batting technique of key players. Ollie Pope, who averages a dismal 18.71 in seven Tests in Australia, was repeatedly guilty of driving with hard hands in front of his body. After a lucky reprieve from his first ball, he continued to play the risky shot and was eventually caught driving on the up off Michael Neser for 26.
He was not alone. Zak Crawley fell in identical fashion for 44, and Ben Duckett was dropped playing the same stroke. Hussain pinpointed the lack of game awareness, criticising Harry Brook for not considering leaving the ball to survive when Mitchell Starc was saved specifically for his arrival at the crease.
England's much-vaunted 'Bazball' approach is now under intense scrutiny. Batting coach Marcus Trescothick defended the philosophy, stating the team was "trying to play the way we want to play," but admitted they needed to "learn and be better." Alarmingly, he revealed there had been "no discussions" about the issue of driving on the up, a flaw that also plagued them in the first Test in Perth.
Deep-Rooted Problems and a Bleak Future
The post-mortem has extended beyond the current match, with fears of long-term psychological damage. Vaughan expressed concern for the entire squad, highlighting a lack of depth and competition for places. "There is no spare keeper... Ben Duckett looks scratchy and edgy at the top. Pope is all over the place, once again," he said. "You can't just keep dipping into Joe Root's well."
BBC commentator Jonathan Agnew echoed this, stating bluntly, "The fact is that none of these players are being put under any pressure by anybody else in the squad — there is no culpability, there are no ramifications." The potential replacement, Jacob Bethell, has not pressed his case in warm-up matches, and Hussain blamed the team's "mismanagement" of him since last April.
The contrast with Australia was stark. The home side's bowlers consistently pitched the ball up and attacked the stumps, while England's pacemen were too short, allowing the tail to prosper. One side adapted and executed; the other remained intransigent.
England now face a nigh-on impossible task to save the Test, needing a miracle akin to the 1981 Headingley victory. With Ben Stokes fighting a lone hand at the crease, the signs are ominous. The decision to take a week's break in Noosa instead of seeking match practice between Tests is now being heavily questioned, as the pressure of a harsh Australian reaction builds.
