England’s batters have taken quite the battering after numerous collapses contributed to a fourth successive Ashes series defeat in Australia.
But how have the bowlers fared?
Stuart Broad, England’s second‑highest Test wicket‑taker of all time and part of the squad that triumphed 3-1 Down Under in 2010/11, runs the rule over the tourists’ seamers, looking at whose stock has risen, whose England career may be over, who simply cannot take the new ball and whose body language must improve going forward…
Josh Tongue ‘has done himself the world of good’
12 wickets in two Tests at 18.58 (best of 5-45)
BROAD SAYS: “Tongue should have played more. He was the Player of the Match in Melbourne and you look now and think did England miss a trick not playing him, certainly at The Gabba and maybe even at Optus Stadium in the first Test?
“He exposes a full length, has got Steve Smith out three times in Test cricket and twice in county cricket, and bowls with a slightly different angle: wider of the crease, but can move the ball away.
“He needs protecting in the sense that he is going to bowl bad balls, so you need someone in the bowling attack that will defend and hold an area, but Tongue has done himself the world of good being on this trip.”
Josh Tongue celebrates his five-wicket haul on day one of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG
Gus Atkinson ‘needs to work on his body language’
Six wickets in three Tests at 47.33 (best of 2-28)
BROAD SAYS: “Atkinson has amazing attributes. He still averages under 25 with the ball, he wobbles the seam, he can swing it, he’s tall, he’s consistent, but his body language is not of a Test match bowler in the battle. He was work to do on that.
“That doesn’t matter so much when you’re playing teams you should dominate and beat, but not against top teams, so his areas of improvement aren’t attributes or mental ability to cope with pressure but letting your team know you are leading this group.
“I read a piece about Tiger Woods, who would never look at the floor when golfing. His eyes would always be above the horizon, which is really strong for body language.
“When I was under pressure or struggling I would keep my eyes above the horizon because then someone couldn’t tell if I’d bowled a good or bad ball. You’re constantly in the battle and your opposition cannot feel like they are getting on top of you.”
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On the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, Stuart Broad says Gus Atkinson needs to work on his body language to complement his bowling
Brydon Carse ‘not a new-ball bowler’
19 wickets in four Tests at 25.57 (best of 4-34)
BROAD SAYS: “Carse has given absolutely everything. He has put his heart and soul into the series and he’s obviously backed by Ben Stokes as a mate and as a team-mate. But he cannot keep taking a new ball. Travis Head must just be laughing out loud.
“I liked the fact that he adjusted at the MCG and went over the wicket as when I watched at Adelaide he was trying to bowl round the wicket with in-swing to the left-handers. Your margin for error is absolutely tiny and your mode of dismissal minimal.
“You’re aiming to hit someone in line with off stump and hit leg stump swinging the ball in. If it doesn’t swing, you get cut. If it swings too much, you get clipped.
“He bowled really well day two in Melbourne but before this Test he’d gone three Tests in a row at five runs an over as a main bowler. I’d expect that from your fifth seamer or maybe if you’re taking a gamble on someone. You can make your captain look silly if you’re going at five an over every single spell because you have fielders everywhere.”
Brydon Carse has proved an expensive option for Stokes and England throughout the Ashes
Ben Stokes ‘England’s best bowler at hitting top of the stumps’
13 wickets at 21.69 (best of 5-23)
BROAD SAYS: Stokes has been reluctant to bowl himself at times. It was day two in Melbourne where Scott Boland came out to open the batting as nightwatchman and Carse got the new ball again. I’m going, ‘what’s going on here?’
“I text [England director of cricket] Rob Key at 7am saying Stokes has got to start. He’s our best bowler at hitting the top of the stumps.
“I feel like a lot of people are seeing that apart from maybe Stokes underestimating himself as a bowler or maybe saying it’s not his job and trusting the boys in the team to get the wickets.”
‘Good return for Jofra Archer’ but is Mark Wood done in England shirt?
Jofra Archer: 9 wickets in three Tests at 27.11 before side strain (best of 5-53)
Mark Wood: 0 wickets in one Test before flying home with knee injury
Jofra Archer’s return to red-ball cricket gave England’s bowling attack an extra dimension
BROAD SAYS: “Archer did himself some good on this trip. Yes, he got some criticism in Brisbane but he was superb in Adelaide.
“I know he’s gone home injured but he played three Tests out of five, which is a pretty good return from someone who’s not played much Test cricket.
“I’m not sure we will see Wood again in an England shirt, unfortunately. He’s tried absolutely everything but it’s three years of pain throughout his body now.”
Will we see Mark Wood in an England shirt again after his injury-plagued Ashes?
Did England pick bowling attack for pitches of the past?
BROAD SAYS: “It looks like England built a bowling attack 18 months out to suit pitches from seven, eight years ago, if I’m honest: 90 miles an hour, tall, bounce, hit the deck.
“Ultimately, day one of the series was one of the best bowling displays you’ll see from an England team. They blew Australia away with raw pace on a pitch that moved about.
“Where it’s been difficult to watch is the lack of ability to hit the top of the stumps and at The Gabba it was one of the worst displays of bowling you’ll ever wish to see in your life.
“Australia came close to breaking the record for the number of runs scored behind square on the off-side. The cut ball is the worst ball you can bowl in Test cricket because you’re not just missing a line but you’re also missing length at the same time.
“Travis Head is a very good cutter of the ball and so those numbers have grown because of his quality at the top of the order. But, ultimately, England’s bowling to left-handers has been very poor. That’s been a major problem.”
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Stuart Broad believes that removing Rob Key from the ECB managing director role could cause a ‘domino effect’ that puts Ben Stokes’ position as captain at risk
Ashes series in Australia 2025-26
Australia lead five-match series 3-1
