Posted by From my vantage point in Australia, England’s approach to an Ashes visit can seem puzzling.
Australia has a poor recent record in England, having failed to win a series in five attempts over the last 20 years.
However, they had a six-win, seven-draw, and 12-loss record in those 25 Tests. In the same time period, England had four victories, two draws, and 21 loses in 27 matches in Australia.
Apart from England’s 3-1 series victory in 2010-11, every subsequent trip has started with losses in Brisbane and Adelaide, followed by a pervasive sense of fear.
Former England assistant coach Paul Farbrace characterized the 2017-18 loss as “happening in a cloud” on BBC Radio 5 Live during the Adelaide Test. Things fell apart so quickly that when his team turned around one day, they discovered they were down 4-0.
The tourists of 2021-22, on the other hand, appear to be in even worse shape, with a jumbled sequence of schemes that have resulted in poor decisions and a core of players who are unable to grasp what is expected of them.
Former Australia captain Ian Chappell has seen a lot of teams, both good and bad, over the years, and he was candid on Test Match Special during the Adelaide Test.
Source: BBC Sport