The Ashes | 2025-26 | 5 tests | Nov 21 to Jan 08 | Discussion Thread

[Gollum]

10 hours ago, G_B_ said:

If its the world test final vs nz.

 

Selecting ashwin over another seamer a d failing with the bat comes to mind.

Ashwin was our best bowler in that final (4/45 in 25 overs across both innings). Selection wasn't why we lost. It was stupid shot selection on the final day (Pant a key culprit), batsmen unable to kick on after getting starts, and biggest of them all, Bumrah not showing up at all....Bumrah's bowling in that test is the worst ever I have seen by any pacer, even Binny and Dinda would have picked a few wickets in those conditions. 

 

Kohli's captaincy when we reduced them to 120/5 was poor, he tried to rush things when he should have allowed Ashwin to keep bowling, and stuck to defensive field sets which was choking them at that point (<2 rpo). Instead they started scoring at 6 rpo till the end of the innings. 

[vvvslaxman]

Just now, Gollum said:

Ashwin was our best bowler in that final (4/45 in 25 overs across both innings). Selection wasn't why we lost. It was stupid shot selection on the final day (Pant a key culprit), batsmen unable to kick on after getting starts, and biggest of them all, Bumrah not showing up at all....Bumrah's bowling in that test is the worst ever I have seen by any pacer, even Binny and Dinda would have picked a few wickets in those conditions. 

 

Kohli's captaincy when we reduced them to 120/5 was poor, he tried to rush things when he should have allowed Ashwin to keep bowling, and stuck to defensive field sets which was choking them at that point (<2 rpo). Instead they started scoring at 6 rpo till the end of the innings. 

 

The thing is NZ played WTC final right after test series against England. INdia played WTC final right after IPL in another country.  Look at how England is saying even 2 tests were not enough as a preparation for the Ashes. We hardly had any preparation. Bumrah was coming after injury.  INdia did the same mistake in the second WTC final. Going there with no acclimatization.  Much similar to 5th test  in England. We lost all 3. We directly landed and played these tests.  

[Gollum]

8 minutes ago, vvvslaxman said:

 

The thing is NZ played WTC final right after test series against England. INdia played WTC final right after IPL in another country.  Look at how England is saying even 2 tests were not enough as a preparation for the Ashes. We hardly had any preparation. Bumrah was coming after injury.  INdia did the same mistake in the second WTC final. Going there with no acclimatization.  Much similar to 5th test  in England. We lost all 3. We directly landed and played these tests.  

Yeah, NZ were battle hardened courtesy their test series against Eng just before the WTC final. 

[sage]

 

[Gollum]

15 minutes ago, sage said:

 

Even Poms have started moral policing like desis @New guy

 

There are literally debates in their circles about who drank how much? How their families distracted them, etc.  As if alcohol on non-match days had anything to do with their **** game, in fact the Adelaide test was a good performance by their standards in away Ashes. 

[New guy]

34 minutes ago, Gollum said:

Even Poms have started moral policing like desis @New guy

 

There are literally debates in their circles about who drank how much? How their families distracted them, etc.  As if alcohol on non-match days had anything to do with their **** game, in fact the Adelaide test was a good performance by their standards in away Ashes. 

They are very good at finding scapegoats when they lose while ensuring their golden boys (like stokes) go unscathed.

 

That's how they treated and scapegoated Kevin Pietersen. 

 

Meanwhile all the simple dismissals of Stokes this series were all described as unplayable balls, which he could do nothing about (just check BBC, TMS and other commentary sites). 

 

They have their own club and will do anything to protect their own overhyped players while scapegoating who they dislike 

 

In India this is done based on seniority and star culture, in England there are also other reasons at play. 

Edited December 23, 2025 by New guy

[sage]

 

[G_B_]

31 minutes ago, sage said:

 

 

 

this guy knew what was going on and is trying to save his own job. Ashley Giles took it on the chin and accepted the axe.

[G_B_]

6 hours ago, Gollum said:

Ashwin was our best bowler in that final (4/45 in 25 overs across both innings). Selection wasn't why we lost. It was stupid shot selection on the final day (Pant a key culprit), batsmen unable to kick on after getting starts, and biggest of them all, Bumrah not showing up at all....Bumrah's bowling in that test is the worst ever I have seen by any pacer, even Binny and Dinda would have picked a few wickets in those conditions. 

 

Kohli's captaincy when we reduced them to 120/5 was poor, he tried to rush things when he should have allowed Ashwin to keep bowling, and stuck to defensive field sets which was choking them at that point (<2 rpo). Instead they started scoring at 6 rpo till the end of the innings. 

 

ok so what i am reading from this post is captain kohli  bottled it.

[G_B_]

5 hours ago, vvvslaxman said:

 

The thing is NZ played WTC final right after test series against England. INdia played WTC final right after IPL in another country.  Look at how England is saying even 2 tests were not enough as a preparation for the Ashes. We hardly had any preparation. Bumrah was coming after injury.  INdia did the same mistake in the second WTC final. Going there with no acclimatization.  Much similar to 5th test  in England. We lost all 3. We directly landed and played these tests.  

 

no excuse for not having drawn. Your points are valid if NZ vs India was a full 5 day match. The odds on the draw before the match was played were ridiculously low. NZ were slight favs to win, but bookies predicted the draw to be like 80% NZ were around 15% with India 5%. But once the weather materialised likes of Kohli could not even hold onto divine intervention.

 

That day onwards I knew Indian cricket would only be saved once Kohli stepped down. I was right as we are sitting on a t20 wc (which we won the final against the odds with Bumrah shining) and the Champions tropphy.

 

 

[New guy]

38 minutes ago, sage said:

 

Also, what are the players supposed to do when you have around 2 weeks break after each match?

[G_B_]

1 hour ago, New guy said:

They are very good at finding scapegoats when they lose while ensuring their golden boys (like stokes) go unscathed.

 

That's how they treated and scapegoated Kevin Pietersen. 

 

Meanwhile all the simple dismissals of Stokes this series were all described as unplayable balls, which he could do nothing about (just check BBC, TMS and other commentary sites). 

 

They have their own club and will do anything to protect their own overhyped players while scapegoating who they dislike 

 

In India this is done based on seniority and star culture, in England there are also other reasons at play. 

 

 

 

The underlying issue is that the UK has way too many news outlets, given its population size, just like India. If you dont have masala (scapegoating) then you wont sell papers. This has nothing to do with moral policing. When the media is a perfectly competitive market (as is the case with newspapers) then you need headlines to sell papers. Add to this Cricket competes for attention with the likes of Football and Rugby.

 

Most of the scapegoating has been around Pope and McCullum.Which is justified. Stokes has not been great but will be part of the next ashes (injuries aside) in England.

 

 

 

[Serpico]

1 hour ago, New guy said:

Also, what are the players supposed to do when you have around 2 weeks break after each match?

can they not relax in any other ways? I don't understand the alcoholic logic applied to high performance athletes, if we can critic some players for overeating and getting fat, we can critic substance usage during important series too

[Serpico]

3 hours ago, Gollum said:

Even Poms have started moral policing like desis @New guy

 

There are literally debates in their circles about who drank how much? How their families distracted them, etc.  As if alcohol on non-match days had anything to do with their **** game, in fact the Adelaide test was a good performance by their standards in away Ashes. 

I don't think this is moral policing, people can have different lifestyle/fitness expectations from athletes compared to civilians, especially during most important tournaments. I remember aussie team was criticized in 2019 for "celebrating too hard" after retaining the ashes and then losing the 5th test and drawing the series. Lots of fans called them soft for not waiting until series win

Edited December 23, 2025 by Serpico

[sage]

 

[Tillu]

 

[Serpico]

14 minutes ago, Tillu said:

 

if you think English team's current drinking culture is bad, wait until Ravi gets hold of them

[maniac]

Now in hindsight, looks like Gambhir messed up a winnable series in England

[sage]

What a clown show, Pakistan tier 

 

 

[The Realist]

11 minutes ago, maniac said:

Now in hindsight, looks like Gambhir messed up a winnable series in England

 

In hindsight Gambhir not losing a test series is a win.

 

By a distance the worst coach in world cricket.