It took until the last two days of the third Test – the 10th and 11th of the series – for England to show fight. And why did it take until another away Ashes series had followed such a familiar course for the players to knuckle down and for the coach to fess up? For all the optimism in advance, this tour was always going to present a challenge like nothing England have faced under McCullum and Ben Stokes. Cummins, too, looks set to give the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne a miss as he manages his tender back. Join the debate Is England’s Ashes humiliation down to poor leadership, or does the team lack true fighting spirit?

Source: Daily Mail December 21, 2025 16:36 UTC