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England suffered an eight-wicket Ashes defeat in Perth after batting collapses and Travis Head’s century, drawing harsh criticism from Geoffrey Boycott and Michael Vaughan.
England skipper Ben Stokes in the Ashes (AP)
England was left reeling on Sunday after their dismal performance in the first Ashes Test, facing harsh criticism from former greats who labelled their approach as “brainless” and “damaged.”
Ben Stokes’s team suffered an eight-wicket loss in Perth within two days, following multiple batting collapses and Travis Head’s remarkable 69-ball century.
Since their last Ashes series victory in Australia 15 years ago, England has now lost 14 Tests, drawn two, and won none Down Under.
They had a prime chance to break this grim run and gain a psychological edge before the day-night second Test in Brisbane on December 4.
However, after reaching 160-5, they lost five wickets for just 12 runs, ending day one at 172 all out. They briefly regained an advantage by dismissing Australia for 132.
In their second innings, England seemed poised for a substantial lead at 65-1 but lost five quick wickets, setting Australia a target of 205, which they chased down comfortably.
Before the match in Perth, Stokes had dismissed critical former players as “has-beens,” a remark that backfired.
Boycott Criticism
“Well, from this has-been the message is simple: when you keep throwing away Test matches by doing the same stupid things, it is impossible to take you seriously,” batting great Geoffrey Boycott said in a newspaper column.
“They never learn, because they never listen to anyone outside their own bubble, because they truly believe their own publicity.
“Now it has bitten them in an Ashes Test, the biggest challenge of all, and unless they mount a spectacular comeback, they will regret it for a very long time.
“It is simple. Brainless batting and bowling lost England the match.”
Damage Done
Former captain Michael Vaughan also criticised the team, suggesting the defeat would leave mental scars.
“This is going to hurt England, it’s going to damage them I think,” he was quoted as saying to broadcasters.
“They have the tools to be really competitive, but you can’t be competitive without brains.”
Stokes acknowledged the team was “shell-shocked” and admitted he and coach Brendon McCullum had a tough job ahead to motivate the players.
“When we get to Brisbane we need to be back up to that mindset of how we came into this game, still very confident of our abilities and achieving the goal,” he said.
“It’s crucial not be taking any baggage from this result into Brisbane.”
Hussain Hopeful
Facing the challenge in Brisbane, where England has only won twice since World War II, another former captain remains hopeful.
“They need to remember they played a lot of good cricket in this game, and remember that when you get ahead be ruthless and smart,” Nasser Hussain was quoted as saying on Sky Sports.
“It is a mountain to climb for England but they have a lot of character and a captain with a lot of character. They are going to need that.”
(With inputs from Agencies)
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin… Read More
November 23, 2025, 08:29 IST
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