"Before this series started Ben Stokes told the world that any ex-player who criticised them or had a different opinion were "has-beens" because Test cricket had changed and the past was irrelevant. Well, from this has been the message is simple: when you keep throwing away Test matches by doing the same stupid things, it is impossible to take you seriously. Brainless batting and bowling lost England the match. But as exciting as this England team can be, they are always only a blink of an eye away from self destruction. Against top teams like India and Australia, it is a huge factor in losing.

Source: The Times November 23, 2025 07:21 UTC