Sir Geoffrey Boycott, a legendary England batsman, thinks that England could have easily defeated Australia at home to win back the Ashes. As England rallied from a 2-0 deficit and was denied a victory in the fourth Test at Old Trafford by continuous rain, the 2023 series concluded in a 2-2 tie.
In the lead-up to the 2023 Ashes, there wasn’t much separating the two teams. Australia entered the series as the WTC champion, while England was holding back before launching their strategy against their bitter rivals as the hosts. The series was one of the best in Test history since nearly every one of the five games was close to the end.
Boycott believed that England might have won the series easily but for their preoccupation with “Bazball” early on.
In his Telegraph column, he stated:
If we are being completely honest, England could have won all five Test matches; they were absolutely capable of winning 4-0. Up until their wickets were lost due to careless batting at Lord’s, they were winning in Edgbaston 90% of the time.
Boycott’s facepalm gesture when Harry Brook was ejected from Lord’s due to a short ball went viral. However, England turned things around by dominating the remaining matches after the contentious final day at Lord’s.
Boycott said that Australia’s hold on the urn was only due to England’s mistakes and the fourth Test in Manchester being drawn due to rain.
The Australians take home the ashes, but their series was only a replica of The Great Escape, a 1963 Steve McQueen movie. Three of the Tests saw them completely outplayed, while in the other two, England conceded. The terrible part of it all is that England were great, he said.
For the first time since 2001, Australia had the potential to win a Test series in England. They now have to wait until 2027 to break the drought after blowing a 2-0 advantage.
After Zak Crawley’s outstanding century in the fourth Test, Sir Geoffrey Boycott said, “They looked like they had been pummeled in the ring by a boxer”
In the 2023 Ashes, England’s opening batsman Zak Crawley scored the most runs for the home team. At Old Trafford in Manchester, he also scored the highest individual total of the match with a superb 189-run knock off just 182 deliveries. England amassed a strong 592-run total in the first innings thanks to Crawley’s heroics.
According to Sir Geoffrey Boycott, Crawley’s performance completely stunned the Australians.
“Observe Zak Crawley. He played a couple of excellent innings. The 189 dealt Australia such a severe hit. After that, they seemed as though a boxer had pummeled them in the ring, according to his writing.”
After his encounter with the short-ball onslaught, Boycott proceeded to compare Travis Head to a “jack rabbit,” saying:
“Wood’s improved fitness provided them another level of speed. He not only got wickets, but he also supported bowlers at the other end. Travis Head spent more time leaping through the air than he did standing on his feet. He jumped more frequently than a jack rabbit.”
In 2015, England last claimed the Ashes. England has often been outclassed by Australia Down Under, despite their competitiveness at home.
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