Arrogance was England's undoing at The Ashes

The Ashes in Australia in recent times has been a one-way street, with England repeatedly finding themselves on the wrong side of the traffic.

- BY REX CLEMENTINE

In 2007 they were steamrollered 5-0; in 2014 another whitewash followed. The last two tours, in 2018 and 2022, ended 4-0. This time around, too, England appear to be staring down the barrel unless someone conjures up an Ian Botham-esque rescue act. In 1981, in what came to be known as Botham's Ashes, England were teetering on the brink before their most charismatic cricketer turned the series on its head. Ironically, this was England's best shot at winning an Ashes series in Australia for decades. On paper, they had ticked most of the boxes. They had unearthed a couple of fast bowlers capable of matching Australia's pace, boasted a fit all-rounder and inspirational leader in Ben Stokes and arrived brimming with confidence. Then, almost inexplicably, they pressed the self-destruct button from day one. By unleashing Bazball — a high-octane, take the game by the scruff of the neck approach that thumbed its nose at tradition — England challenged the game’s old order. The problem was, it backfired spectacularly. Heading into the third Test in Adelaide, there is a real danger that the Boxing Day Test in Me