England must be ruthless against Australia after Ashes defeats

Over the past two weeks, we have been treated to some compelling cricket – a battle of philosophies in the first men’s Ashes Test and, similarly, England aiming to bring a more positive and attacking approach to the women’s Ashes series too.

It’s been heartening to see England go toe-to-toe with Australia in both games and there will be pride in the way they translated words into action. However, when it came down to crunch time, Australia’s winning mentality and composure shone through.

The question on everyone’s mind is whether England maintain this positive and fearless mindset without giving their position away too easily.

The men certainly cannot afford to do that this week at Lord’s, or the women for the remainder of that series, where they now need to win five out of the remaining six white-ball matches.

Creating a culture in which players feel they can thrive has on many occasions provided some inspiring and out-of-the-box cricket – but is there also room to recognise key moments to knuckle down and be smart and selective too?

Advertisement

For me, it’s the ruthlessness in big moments which is the extra ingredient they need to overcome Australia.

What’s added to the contest in the men’s series is the peripheral chatter, with England adopting an antagonistic approach – something we’ve seldom seen.

A lot of former Australian players have targeted Ollie Robinson as the primary mouthpiece but I don’t think he’s fazed by it. Perhaps it’s a plan that the more attention that is focused on him, the more is taken away from everyone else.

I expect James Anderson to bounce back and prove his class at Lord’s, as the slope brings the quick bowlers into the game.

The addition of Josh Tongue tells me two things – the pitch is green and Mark Wood is potentially injured, which is a concern. The Lord’s pitch can spin later in the Test if conditions are dry but can provide uneven bounce too, so England are relying on a battery of quicks to extract 20 wickets, with a few overs from Joe Root.

What makes the men’s series so compelling is we have two captains that have created ‘their’ team. Australia took the game deep and stuck to their processes despite England cajoling them to score quicker and upset their rhythm.

The tourists might do it in a different way to the players of old but they have tremendous belief in their process.

The stubbornness of Usman Khawaja was exactly the tonic Australia needed in the middle – he wasn’t drawn into the noise around having to bat quicker and took his time to take it deep and apply pressure back on to England.

In the end, it took an enormous amount of nerve to get them over the line and that’s Pat Cummins all over.A stoic leader with a steely determination under that happy-go-lucky exterior, which we saw right up until that very last ball. It’s even more impressive considering what he’s been through in the last six months with the loss of his mother.

I can relate to the emotions he might be experiencing in the aftermath of something so life-changing. For him to be able to compartmentalise and focus on the job at hand made it an even greater achievement.

There is similar steel in the stand-in Australia women’s captain Alyssa Healy, playing with two fractured fingers to put in an exemplary performance behind the stumps, and score a vital 50 after facing a double pair.

There were some highlights for England. Tammy Beaumont’s double century showed her tremendous concentration and determination.

And for Sophie Ecclestone to be so unwavering in the 76 overs she bowled was a monumental effort. She proved again why she is the best in the world.

In Lauren Filer, England have a gem. It’s a similar feeling to when Katherine Sciver-Brunt came on the scene in 2005 and we felt like we had a weapon. She led the attack for almost 20 years, so to see that type of bowler coming through again is so exciting.

Now England’s men and women must hit back and will opt for the same approach in both series. But knowing they can’t afford to lose makes the next couple of weeks fascinating.

Don’t look away from report, cricket’s future is on the line

As we look forward to events on the field, it is important to address that the game is going through a reckoning at the moment too.

The ICEC report’s publication has held a mirror up to the sport. While it is extremely damning, it is important not to look away. Acceptance is vital.

It’s also important to remind ourselves we are all part of the conversation to create change and inclusivity can only be improved if those involved in the game work together to find appropriate solutions.

I also believe sport is a reflection of society and so if cricket can get it right, then it can absolutely be a force for good to lead in this space.

IG and England Cricket have committed to invest in new public net facilities across the country, via the IG Net Gains fund. Find out more at IG.com/investing. Investing puts your capital at risk.

MORE : After the revolution must come evolution if macho England are to win back the Ashes

MORE : England make one change to their team for second Ashes Test at Lord’s