England’s Ashes Hopes Slip as Bowling Misfires Again
So, looking at the fallout from England’s latest Ashes defeat, the conversation has mostly revolved around the batting — and honestly, some of the criticism has been brutal. Words like “brainless” and “reckless” have been flying around. But if we zoom out a bit, it’s clear the bigger, more worrying issue right now is England’s bowling, which was supposed to be their strong suit in this series. Instead, it has been exposed badly.
Even Stuart Broad, who has only just stepped out of the dressing room and into punditry, didn’t hold back. He called England’s first-innings bowling in Brisbane their worst display since 2008. And he had a point. The way England began — wayward, short, and without control — allowed Australia to cruise towards a par score and then casually push beyond it. What makes it more frustrating is that this attack was built precisely for these conditions. Years of planning had gone into selecting tall, fast bowlers to exploit Australian pitches. Yet when the moment arrived, everything fell apart.
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The numbers tell the same story. This year’s bowling average is England’s worst in more than two decades. And while the schedule hasn’t been kind — seven hard Tests against India and Australia on flat surfaces — the drop in quality remains hard to ignore. What was especially striking in Brisbane was how consistently England bowled the wrong length. Instead of hitting that uncomfortable 7–8 metre zone that threatens edges, they kept dropping short and drifting wide. Australia took full advantage, smashing boundaries early and scoring heavily off the back foot — the most any team has ever scored that way in the first 20 overs of a Test.
Even legends watching on, like James Anderson, could see what was wrong. His instinct was simple: pitch it up. But as he admitted, when rhythm deserts a bowler and confidence slips, knowing the right thing to do and actually doing it can feel miles apart.
There’s also a deeper issue that has nothing to do with pace or skill — leadership. Broad pointed out that England’s current attack is talented but inexperienced as a collective. They don’t yet have that natural tactician among them who can guide the group through tough spells or help ease the load on Ben Stokes. With no senior seamers around, Stokes looks overworked, exhausted, and increasingly alone in decision-making. And with Mark Wood injured, the most experienced frontline bowler left on tour is 22-year-old Shoaib Bashir. That’s a staggering situation for an Ashes campaign.
The painful truth is that this problem can’t be fixed mid-series. England’s plans were bold, the intentions good, but the execution has fallen short. Unless something dramatic changes, this lack of on-field leadership may turn out to be the biggest reason why the Ashes slip away — again.
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