England legend’s three-word Ashes warning for Australia

One of England’s greatest captains has a three-word prediction for how the Poms will target Australia in the Ashes this summer.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan expects the Poms to “pack the batting” for this summer’s hotly anticipated Ashes series.

Australia’s top order looked shaky on some very ordinary pitches in the West Indies, with the bowling attack steering the Aussies to a 3-0 series victory, patching over concerns about the batting line-up.

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Cameron Green was the lone bright spot from a batting perspective as he made his case to stay at No. 3, but there are significant question marks over openers Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja.

The start of the Sheffield Shield season will certainly have a bearing on selection, and Jason Sangha and Jake Weatherald have already put their hand up with big hundreds for Australia A.

“You’ve sometimes got to be fair to a batting unit,” Vaughan told news.com.au

“You’ve also got to be fair that they’ve had to play on some horrendous pitches. It’s not been easy.

“That’s where you have to be careful of criticising the batting unit. Some of these pitches are flat but some of the pitches in the Caribbean were poor pitches.”

Ben Stokes and Pat Cummins after the 2023 Ashes series was drawn 2-2. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

England lead a five-Test series against India 2-1, with the tourists 4/264 after Day 1 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford.

India’s wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant was carted off the field with a foot injury and it will be a massive blow if he can’t play out the series.

Liam Dawson was brought back into England’s XI as the spinning option, replacing Shoaib Bashir, who fractured his finger in the previous Test.

The 35-year-old Dawson dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal in the spinner’s first Test since July 17, 2017 — 2,929 days ago.

Dawson is a capable batter and Vaughan believes he could be England’s spinner for the Ashes instead of Bashir or Jack Leach.

Jofra Archer returned to England’s line-up earlier in the series but the Poms are yet to settle on a first-choice bowling attack.

Liam Dawson (right) is mobbed by teammates after dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal in the 4th Test (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

They have no shortage of pace bowling options in Archer, Mark Wood, Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue and Matthew Potts — which will be crucial in unsettling Australia’s batters Down Under.

Asked to name England’s preferred bowling attack, Vaughan said: “I don’t know. I’d say Archer is a shoe in if he’s fit. Brydon Carse is a shoe in if he’s fit.

“I think Gus Atkinson, Ben Stokes. It wouldn’t surprise me if they went with Mark Wood as well and they didn’t play a spinner.

“And I can’t believe they won’t take Chris Woakes when you look at a day-night Test in Brisbane and maybe Sydney where the ball seamed around.

“Just pack the batting and put Jacob Bethell in somewhere to bowl a bit of left arm spin.

“England have started to gather a group of players that have got options and that’s going to be the key in Australia — making sure that week in, week out, they pick the right XI.

England's Jofra Archer has returned to Test cricket. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

“Conditions are going to be so different in Australia. Perth will be quick and bouncy. Brisbane under the lights might nibble. Adelaide in the day will probably be quite flat.

“Then you get to Melbourne, anything is possible and then Sydney anything’s possible.

“So you’ve got to be really wary of saying, ‘this is our team’.

“You’ve got to be clever enough to know that week in, week out, your bowling attack may look different for the conditions.

“England will bring a strong squad of difference. If the captain’s fit and firing, he holds the key.

“If Ben Stokes is fit and firing, the Ashes are going to be very, very competitive. If Ben Stokes isn’t firing or isn’t fit and can only bat, there lies a big problem for England. It’s so important that Ben Stokes is fit.”

Vaughan’s suggestion that England’s already settled batting line-up could be further bolstered is an ominous call for an Australian team that has struggled to compile solid scores in recent times.

Although on the other hand, none of Joe Root’s 37 Test centuries have been scored in Australia.

England captain Ben Stokes holds the key for England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

While Ashes series in England are often close contests, Vaughan said it was crucial England put up a fight in Australia this summer given they haven’t won a Test match in enemy territory since the 2010-11 Ashes triumph.

“We really do need a close series in Australia because there hasn’t been one,” Vaughan said.

“In my lifetime 86-87 is probably the last time it’s been really close. 2010-11 England won, but it wasn’t close, England dominated that series.

“We need a real close Ashes series in Australia. If that happened, it would be absolutely huge.

“We’ve had two close series in the last two Ashes here in the UK, but we need one in Australia and I get a sense this England team will bring it.

“I’ll think they’ll make it as close as it has been and I think we’ll give Australia a good run for their money in their own backyard.”

Originally published as England legend’s three-word Ashes warning for Australia