There is an old adage in life and in sport that says you cannot beat someone who does not give up. Whether that stands up to proper scrutiny is beside the point, as the general thrust is that you are only beaten if you quit or you never truly try. With England 2–0 down in the Ashes and staring a series defeat in the face, there is a case to be made that Ben Stokes’ men are here because they did not try to master Test cricket’s greatest battle- the psychological one.
Odds reflect a side unwilling to absorb pressure
Nothing about their approach suggests that it will change in the remaining three Tests in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. That view is also reflected in the latest betting markets. If you bet on Ashes outright winner odds, you will find England at around 22/1 to win the series from 2–0 down.
Moreover, the expectation is that Australia will win the next Test and wrap up the series sooner rather than later, with the latest cricket betting odds pricing the hosts at just 1/2 to win in Adelaide.
In short, it is a bleak situation for England, with the last rites already being prepared. And while it is bleak, it is not particularly surprising. This England side has shown time and time again that they are not willing to give Test cricket the respect it demands, especially when it comes to focusing, absorbing pressure, and doing the hard work between sessions.
England have the players but not the steel
If there is one thing the first two Tests have made clear, it is that England’s problems are not rooted in talent. They have a side capable of matching Australia man-for-man. What they lack is the appetite to confront the moments that decide a Test match. Time and again in this series, the pressure has arrived, and England have blinked first.
You only needed to watch Mitchell Starc’s 77 in Brisbane to see the gulf in mindset. Here was a bowler doing what England’s top order could not: playing each delivery on its merit, accepting the hard spells and cashing in when he was allowed to. It was basic Test cricket, nothing revolutionary, but it was done with total commitment. England’s batters, bar Joe Root, have looked caught between the Bazball tempo they have been conditioned to play and the reality of what Australian pitches demand. That hesitation is not a technical flaw; it is a mental one.
The bowling has followed the same pattern. A burst of hostility in Perth from Jofra Archer and Mark Wood showed what this attack can be when fully engaged. But that was the exception. Too often, England have drifted, unsure of lengths, unsure of plans, and unsure of themselves. Archer bowling mid-130s in the first innings in Brisbane, then suddenly finding 148kph when the match was slipping away, said everything about England’s emotional bandwidth on this tour. The switch only flicked when it was already too late.
Even leadership reflects that uncertainty. Stokes has admitted they have not stood up to pressure, and his fields have often suggested a captain caught reacting rather than dictating. When Australia counter-punched, England scattered. When they needed clarity, they got muddled.
This is what separates the two sides. Australia have met pressure head-on. England have hoped it would go away.