England will be heading into the T20 World Cup with a massive confidence boost following a series win across both white-ball formats in Sri Lanka under captaincy of young Harry Brook, who has switched his side's fortunes since taking over.
Captain Ben Stokes believes England can build on the positives from their loss in the third Ashes Test to Australia in Adelaide as they look to claim the country's first win Down Under in almost 15 years in the series' two remaining tests.
Charlie Smith, one of the thousands of England fans cheering on Ben Stokes's struggling team, stopped off on the way to the ground to buy bin bags and gather up the garbage.
Batting great Alistair Cook says England's 2-2 home series draw against Shubman Gill-led India was against "not a great Indian side", flagging concerns over the team's preparation for the Ashes.
England Head Coach Brendon McCullum revealed his team may have been victims of their own thoroughness, conducting "five to 10 training sessions" in the extended break between Tests after losing the opener in Perth inside two days.
An Ashes tour that began with high hopes of taking home the urn has been reduced to a desperate effort to salvage some last vestiges of dignity for England.
Chasing a world record 435 runs to win, England were reduced to 207 for six at stumps on Day 4 of the third Test, still 228 runs short of victory
Usman Khawaja picked as Australia announce squad for Sydney Test against England
Travis Head proved England's nemesis once again as he scored his second century of the Ashes to carry Australia toward a seemingly inevitable series triumph on day three at Adelaide Oval on Friday.
Taking his 17th Test five-wicket haul, he finished with 7 for 58 off 12.5 overs.
Mitchell Starc and Ben Stokes set the scene for a dramatic Ashes series.
It was a relieved Ben Stokes bidding good riddance to more than a decade of pain for English cricket in Australia on Saturday as his team rallied from the depths to complete a drought-breaking Test win in Melbourne.
'As I said, while you're contributing, or while you're in the best group of players, why do you have to put a cap on a guy or a girl, if you're a certain age?'
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting tips confident England to pose real Ashes threat.
'They're all going to score because they are naturally gifted players but the real high-risk way of playing, I'm afraid it hasn't worked.'
Labuschagne underlined the cricket adage that "catches win matches", while England counted the cost of dropped chances in Adelaide.
t Pat Cummins' side firmly on top of the WTC standings, with a perfect record after six matches in the current cycle.
From afar on Saturday, the SCG track looked to have a distinct tinge of green on it as the groundsmen ran the roller over it.
Enjoyment is a huge part of why I'm still playing: Jonny Bairstow
It was a wild ride while it lasted but the 'Bazball' revolution that enlivened English cricket for three years collapsed in 11 days on Australian soil in an Ashes defeat as harrowing as any in the modern era.
Spin-bowling all-rounder Will Jacks will replace paceman Mark Wood in an otherwise unchanged England side for the second Ashes Test against Australia in Brisbane.
'Dad played the biggest role in my cricket, coached me all the way through and sort of let me go as I got into my older teenage years, but (he) would always shoot a message (like) 'put the reverse sweep away'.'
Bazball is in the firing line, with former players and pundits decrying the high-risk game on Australia's spicy pitches.
'To be able to take over or equal Glenn, or however you want to put it, it's pretty humbling to be honest with you, and it's something that I'll look back at the end of my career, or even tonight, and sit back and try and have a moment.'
The Ashes could be decided within days at an Adelaide Oval furnace where England's hopes of wresting back the urn will fire anew or flame out entirely against a strengthened Australia.
Greg Chappell said that while he admires positive cricket, a "full-frontal assault" approach is insult to the intelligence of the players and the public alike.
Having hit Western Australia's golf links before being beaten by eight wickets in Perth, England's enthusiasts will have access to a selection of championship courses to play a round before a refreshing dip in the Pacific Ocean.
A wicket-laden Boxing Day Test at the MCG triggered widespread debate, with former cricketers from both Australia and England questioning whether the pitch offered far too much for the bowlers.
England have not won the Ashes in Australia after losing the first Test since the 1950s but McCullum and Stokes will remain convinced they can turn the series around, just as they did against South Africa in 2022 when they won 2-1 after losing the opener at Lord's.
England need to produce "something magical" on day four of the third Ashes Test against Australia if they are to have any chance of turning the tide, the visitors' spin bowling coach Jeetan Patel said on Friday.
The England players have come in for heavy criticism since Australia wrapped up an 82-run win in the third Test in Adelaide on Sunday to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.
England's Stokes praises Australia's Head, supports his own errant batters
England need to alter their approach if they hope to claw their way back after their disastrous start to the Ashes series and avoid another drubbing, former Australia paceman Mitchell Johnson said.
England 'quietly confident' heading into Ashes series, says Wood
Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad said the second Ashes Test starting Thursday next week will be a lottery and the toss is a key factor in Brisbane with the pink ball.
England are unlikely to tinker with their side for the second Ashes Test against Australia starting in Brisbane next week despite being thumped in the opening match, their former fast bowler James Anderson said.
Trescothick, who played in three Ashes campaigns including a triumphant 2005 series on home soil, said England's batters were also looking to be smarter on the pitch.
The contest between England's dialled-down "Bazball" approach and Australia's more methodical batting could determine who prevails in the Ashes series beginning in Perth on Friday.
Australia, England registered shameful record during first Ashes Test at Perth as express pace dominates proceedings
'They are up their own backsides convinced that Test cricket has changed so much that only they know anything about the modern game.'
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