England captain Ben Stokes, second from left, shakes hands with teammate Shoaib Bashir (AP Photo/Gary Day) Australian cricket legend Glenn McGrath has issued a critical assessment of England’s performance in the ongoing Ashes series, where Australia are leading 2-0.McGrath stressed that England must secure victory in the third Test in Adelaide to avoid further embarrassment.
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“This series is not dead, but it is far from dead. If England do not win the third Test in Adelaide, it will be a shame,” McGrath wrote in a BBC column.“Never in Australia’s wildest dreams could they have believed they would be 2-0 up in this Ashes series after playing just six days of cricket. England got them under the pump in the first Test in Perth, then they pulled off an incredible turnaround.”The former pacer praised Australia’s performance in the second Test match in Brisbane, adding: “It gave them a boost of confidence going into the second Test in Brisbane where they gave England a lesson in how to play Test cricket, especially day-night Test cricket.”He also expressed concern about England’s rigid approach to the game.“My concern with England was the ‘this is how we play’ message has brought about a culture that lacks accountability. It was almost as if England decided the conditions had to adapt to them, rather than England adapting their game to suit the conditions,” he explained.McGrath noted that the England team seemed to have finally recognized the gravity of their situation after the loss in Brisbane.“Finally after the Brisbane defeat it looks like the penny has dropped,” he concluded.England now face a crucial challenge in the Adelaide Test, with their hopes of avoiding a series defeat hanging in the balance.
