England Struggle as Australia Dominate the 2025/26 Ashes Series

England’s Ashes tour of 2025/26 is turning into one of those long, restless Australian summers where nothing seems to click, no matter how hard the players grit their teeth. The first Test in Perth set the tone in brutal fashion — a match that wrapped up inside two days, something almost unheard of in modern cricket and a statistic England definitely didn’t want to be associated with. From that moment, the team looked as if they were playing catch-up against their own confidence as much as against Australia.

The trip to Brisbane offered no relief. England walked into day four at The Gabba on 134 for 6, already behind the game and visibly rattled by the pink ball under lights. Ben Stokes fought back with a determined fifty, Will Jacks hung in to offer some resistance, and for a brief moment there was a flicker of hope that England might stand their ground. But Australia’s Michael Neser had other plans, tearing through the lineup with a ruthless five-wicket burst that killed the fight before it could grow. Chasing just 65, Australia polished off the target with the kind of ease that made the gulf between the two sides feel even wider. The 2–0 lead now looks less like a scoreline and more like a warning.

Predictably, the reaction back home has been fierce. Former players and columnists have gone after England’s much-talked-about Bazball approach, claiming it simply doesn’t survive the pace and bounce of Australian wickets. Some have gone as far as calling it “dead,” while others argue that it’s not the philosophy that’s failing, but its stubborn execution. Brendon McCullum tried to soften the noise by suggesting the team may have overtrained — an admission that hints at fatigue rather than failure, but it hasn’t done much to calm the conversation.

With three Tests left, England now stand at the edge of a cliff only one team has ever climbed back from in Ashes history. It’s not impossible, but right now it feels like they’re fighting the pitches, the pressure, and themselves all at once. Unless something changes — quickly and dramatically — this series is heading toward a result England fans won’t want to remember, even though they probably won’t be able to forget it.