"I didn't give this England team much chance of winning the Ashes in Australia" - Michael Vaughan
Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes Joe Root and co. will not be able to win the Ashes series in Australia. He noted how the English side have struggled to win at home as well, which makes it tougher for them to win abroad.
Speaking about the same on The Brett Lee Podcast, Vaughan pointed out how England failed to dominate the likes of India and New Zealand at home this year. He reckons the Test side's lack of consistency could be a major reason for their downfall.
Michael Vaughan said:
"I didn't give (this) England (team) much chance of winning the Ashes here. For a team to arrive in Australia and do well, I think you need to have played well in your own backyard. The England Test side have been very inconsistent for a while now."
India staged a grand comeback against Australia last year
India visited Australia last year. After being thumped in the first Test by the hosts, India staged a dramatic comeback to clinch the series Down Under. But Vaughan does not feel England have the firepower to emulate that feat.
"India made a great comeback here in Australia after their embarrassing loss in the pink ball Test. But for England, they don't seem to have players who have played well over a period to come here and put Australia consistently under pressure," he added.
The Joe Root-led side have their backs against the wall after losing their first two fixtures of the five-match series against the Aussies. They are in desperate need of a miraculous turnaround as they look to stay afloat in the Ashes 2021-22.
Two-zip! We like the sound of that!
A determined effort by our bowlers eventually saw us clinch the win by 275 runs.
Brilliant Test match, brilliant performance 👏 #Ashes https://t.co/nEboWTp77y
"They just haven't competed" - Michael Vaughan on England's performances in the Ashes
The cricketer-turned-commentator expressed his disappointment at England failing to compete against the hosts in the ongoing series. Vaughan stated that the touring side have not even got their basics right so far in the series.
He pinpointed how the team erred in their team selection right from the opening encounter. England benched senior pacer Stuart Broad on a green top at the Gabba. Furthermore, as per Vaughan, their catching and fielding has also not been up to the mark.
He added:
"I didn't expect them to win, but did expect them to compete. They just haven't competed. They've been blown away on Day 1 of both games. You expect them to get the basics right. You need to get the team right, but they got it wrong in Brisbane. The fans expected them to give Aussies a tough time, like how India did a year ago. But they're 2-0 down, which is disappointing."
The two cricketing giants are slated to lock horns in the third Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The highly-anticipated encounter is slated to begin on Boxing Day (December 26).