How Englands cockiness over Bazball cost them Ashes against Australia

12 days across three Test matches were all Australia needed to make England eat the humble pie and retain the prestigious Urn by winning the Ashes 2024-25 with an unassailable 3-0 lead in the ongoing five-match series. After back-to-back eight-wicket wins in the first two Test matches, Australia defeated England by 82 runs in the 3rd Test in Adelaide to take a 3-0 lead and clinch the Ashes.

Starting the series without their regular captain Pat Cummins and one of their most reliable pacers - Josh Hazlewood, the current Australian team was labelled one of the worst Aussie Test sides in recent history. However, they still proved too good for England, who have failed miserably in the series so far.

England have now lost the Ashes for the fourth consecutive time, highlighting their struggles in the recent format. Despite big talks about Bazball and how the ultra-aggressive approach has redefined the modern-day red-ball game, England have little to show for their efforts. Their cockiness and false pride over Bazball has been deservingly exposed by Australia in the ongoing Ashes 2025-26.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan explained how England's cockiness cost them the Ashes as he lashed out at Stokes & Co. after their 82-run defeat in the 3rd Test in Adelaide. Vaughan said England have been badly exposed in the series and insisted heads will roll after the team's horror show Down Under.

"The whole approach of this England side has been badly exposed on this Ashes tour, and you don’t have to look far into history to know that heads will roll after a defeat like this. In the end, with defeat inside 11 days, it’s the worst I can remember in Australia. England have had a cockiness about them for three years, and the entire cricketing world has wanted to shut them up as a result. This tour has been humbling for them,” Vaughan wrote in his column for The Telegraph.

Calling out England's obsession with Bazball and their failure to adjust to conditions and respect the opposition, Vaughan insisted the stubbornness in sticking to the attacking approach has cost the visitors heavily in the series. He insisted that only teams that have the ability to fight and grind the opposition down have managed to win a Test series in Australia.

"Aussies are laughing. They can’t believe how fragile this team have been given the quality in the side. England have had a message shoved down their throat for four years that this style would win in Australia. I don’t know where that came from. The only teams I’ve seen win in Australia have been those willing to do the hard yards, grind the opposition down, and have a bowling unit that bowled with great discipline. We have neither," Vaughan added.

England have now lost their last four Test matches in Australia. The visitors have a terrible record Down Under, having won their last Test match in Australia in 2011. England retained the Urn after winning the Ashes in Australia in 2011. However, they have since lost 16 out of 18 Test matches Down Under, while two games have ended in draws.

Having already conceded the series, England will be playing for pride when they take on Australia in the 4th Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne. England last won the Ashes at home in 2015, and have since failed to reclaim the Urn, which Australia have managed to retain for four straight series.