"If we are really honest, England could have won all 5 Tests" - Sir Geoffrey Boycott reflects on the hosts' domination in the 2023 Ashes
Legendary England batter Sir Geoffrey Boycott believes that England could have executed a whitewash over Australia at home to reclaim the Ashes. The 2023 series ended in a 2-2 draw as England made a comeback from being 0-2 down and were denied a win in the fourth Test at Old Trafford due to persistent rain.
There was not much to separate the two sides in the build-up to the 2023 Ashes. Australia came into the series as the World Test Championship (WTC) winners while England were waiting to unleash their approach against their arch-rivals as the hosts. Nearly all of the five matches went down to the wire, resulting in the series being one of the greatest ever in Test history.
Boycott opined that England missed out on a potential whitewash because of their obsession with 'Bazball' in the initial portion of the series.
He wrote in his column for the Telegraph:
"If we are really honest, England could have won all five Tests, certainly they were good enough to win 4-0. They were winning at Edgbaston for 90 per cent of the time and it was even-stevens at Lord’s until brainless batting cost them their wickets."
Boycott's facepalm gesture following Harry Brook's dismissal to a short ball at Lord's went viral. However, England turned it around following the controversial final day at Lord's by being the dominant team across the remaining matches.
Boycott stated that Australia only have a hold on the urn because of the rain-induced drawn fourth Test in Manchester and England's blunders.
"The Aussies go home with the Ashes but their series was just a remake of the 1963 Steve McQueen film, the Great Escape. They were totally outplayed in three Tests and in the other two England gave it away. That is the sadness of it all because England were excellent," he explained.
Australia had the opportunity to win a Test series in England for the first time since 2001. However, they squandered a 2-0 lead and will now have to wait until 2027 to end the drought.
"After that, they looked like they had been pummelled in the ring by a boxer" - Sir Geoffrey Boycott on Zak Crawley's exceptional hundred in the fourth Test
England opener Zak Crawley was the leading run-scorer for the hosts in the 2023 Ashes. He also recorded the highest individual score of the series with a brilliant 189-run knock off just 182 deliveries at Old Trafford, Manchester. Crawley's exploits helped England post a commanding 592-run total in the first innings.
Sir Geoffrey Boycott felt that the Australians were blown away by Crawley's display.
"Look at Zak Crawley. He had a couple of innings that were outstanding. The 189 was such a body blow to Australia. After that, they looked like they had been pummelled in the ring by a boxer," he wrote.
Further likening Travis Head to a "jack rabbit: following his experience with the short-ball barrage, Boycott continued:
"Getting Wood fit gave them the extra dimension of pace. It is not just the wickets he took, but he helped bowlers at the other end as well. Travis Head spent more time jumping in the air than he did with his feet on the floor. He did more jumping up and down than a jack rabbit."
England last won an Ashes series in 2015. While they have been competitive on home turf, England have been dominated by Australia Down Under over the years.