The Ashes 2025-26: 'Only a win will do for England in biggest Test of Bazball project'

England's Ashes hopes are pinned on a single win in Brisbane. The team's crushing defeat by Australia in Perth has left them 12 days away from the start of the second Test, with England needing to regroup and rediscover their form if they want to mount a comeback.

Twelve days since the Perth debacle has allowed for some introspection about England's performance, but not enough time to change anything. The team is still looking over its shoulder as Australia closes in on an 18-0 series lead, with England having lost 15 consecutive Tests against their Australian counterparts.

Their approach at the Gabba, however, may be different this time around. Coach Brendon McCullum believes that this Ashes series is a defining moment for his team and will need to adapt to conditions in Brisbane if they are to have any chance of turning the series around.

England's reliance on spin bowlers will be crucial against Australia's Mitchell Starc, who has taken the most wickets from England with over 20 Test dismissals. Stokes must also face Starc, with whom he has a poor record.

Despite their struggles in Australia, England have adopted a relaxed and calm approach to their build-up for the match, much to the frustration of some critics. However, it is not unreasonable to ask that England take heed of criticism if they are going to be successful.

Ultimately, only a win will do for England at the Gabba. A victory could shift perception and keep the Ashes hopes alive, while a loss would seal their fate and leave them wondering what might have been.

The Australian team is in a good mood after losing just one Test series in over 37 years. Meanwhile, England's future hangs precariously in the balance unless they can pull off an upset at the Gabba.
 
I'm so worried about the Ashes πŸ€•... like, England's whole season depends on this one win and I'm not sure if they've got it in them 😬. I mean, Australia is killing it right now and 18-0 seems like a pretty big gap to get back from πŸ™…β€β™‚οΈ. And don't even get me started on Stokes vs Starc - that's like asking him to face his own personal nemesis 😳. But at the same time, I do think England's approach is more chill than usual and that might actually work in their favour πŸ’†β€β™‚οΈ... who knows?
 
I'm not getting my hopes up for England πŸ€”. They've been struggling in Australia and it's not looking good ⚠️. I mean, 12 days isn't even a decent amount of time to change their approach or fix their weaknesses. They need to be more proactive, not just wing it like they did in Perth πŸ˜•. And have you seen the stats on Mitchell Starc? England is getting destroyed by him! 🀯 Stokes needs to step up his game and face this guy head-on. It's all or nothing for England at the Gabba, and I'm still holding out for a miracle ✨. But let's be real, they've got some serious work to do if they want to come back from 15 losses against Australia πŸ™…β€β™‚οΈ.
 
"Believe you can and you're halfway there." πŸ† - The quote that resonates with me is "Believe you can" by Theodore Roosevelt. It seems like England needs to believe in themselves right now if they want to make a comeback against Australia. Their approach so far has been calm, but critics might be onto something when they say the team needs to take heed of criticism if they're going to succeed. A win at Gabba could be just what they need to shift perception and keep their Ashes hopes alive πŸ’ͺ
 
England's Ashes hopes are in a bit of a pickle, aren't they? πŸ€” Like, what happened to that fiery spirit that used to drive them forward? It seems like they're playing catch-up just to stay in the game, and I'm not sure if their "relaxed and calm approach" is going to cut it against an Aussie team that's on a roll. πŸ’ͺ They need to show some urgency and get back to basics - I mean, 15 consecutive Tests without a win? That's like saying you can just take the votes at the next election by default! πŸ—³οΈ The pressure's on Brendon McCullum to whip this team into shape before it's too late. Can they pull off that one-winner in Brisbane? Or will we be seeing an Ashes whitewash? πŸ”΄βš«οΈ
 
I think Engeland has some legit reasons to be worried lol πŸ˜…. Like, Australia's Starc is on fire right now πŸš€! But, you know, Brendon McCullum's got a point - this Ashes series is all about adapting to new conditions. And England's approach might actually work out... but only if they can manage their pressure and don't get too stressed out πŸ’ͺ. I'm not saying they're gonna magically turn it around, but they've gotta try, right? πŸ€”
 
I'm not sure if it's possible for England to make a comeback now... πŸ€” They've been struggling so much against Australia and this series is looking bleak 🌫️. I mean, 18-0 lead? That's a long way back to mount a challenge 😬. But you never know in cricket, anything can happen right? Maybe they'll surprise everyone with their new approach at the Gabba πŸ’‘. It would be a nice boost to morale if they could pull off that one win... πŸ†
 
man... i'm thinkin' about how this series has become a metaphor for england's mental state 🀯. they're feelin' lost and uncertain, like they're stuck in a never-endin' cycle of doubt. it's like they're tryin' to find their way outta the darkness, but every step forward feels like two steps back.

and then you got australia, the team that's always one step ahead πŸƒβ€β™‚οΈ. they're like the mirror reflection of england's struggles, only they're baskin' in the light of success. it's like they're sayin', "hey, we get it, you're strugglin'. but we're the ones who know how to win."

i think this series is gonna be a test of england's character πŸ’ͺ. can they dig deep and find that fire that's been smolderin' inside 'em? or are they just gonna fade away like the sun at the end of a long day?
 
omg I'm literally on the edge of my seat thinking about this Ashes series πŸ˜‚πŸ I mean England has been struggling so badly it's crazy to think they might actually have a chance, but I believe in Stokes and Broad and the rest of the squad! Brendon McCullum is gonna need all his magic to turn things around πŸ§™β€β™‚οΈ coach vibes. Australia's on fire right now but I don't wanna jinx England, let's just say I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a miracle win πŸ€žπŸ†
 
Ugh I feel bad for the lads πŸ€• they've been smashed in Perth and now it's a case of win or bust at the Gabba 🏟️. 12 days to regroup is barely enough time, mate. They need to figure out what went wrong and sort themselves out ASAP ⏱️. The Aussie team is on fire πŸ”₯ and England can't afford to get left behind. It's gonna be a tough one, but if they can pull off an upset, it could change the whole dynamic of the series πŸ”„. Let's hope Stokes can have a better battle with Starc than he did in Perth 😬
 
I'm still thinking about how they messed up in Perth 🀯 I mean, come on guys, you're already 12 days away from the next Test and you need to regroup? Can't you see that Australia is just going to keep raking up those wickets? Brendon McCullum's approach might be different this time around but they still need a solid game plan against Starc 😬 and Stokes has got some serious work to do with him. I'm starting to think that the only way for them to get out of this hole is if they win big in Brisbane πŸ‘ But seriously, they need to take criticism from fans seriously or it's going to be tough to turn things around πŸ’ͺ
 
I'm telling ya, England needs to step up their game ASAP or they'll be toast 🀯! They've been getting thrashed by Australia and it's getting embarrassing, fam πŸ’”. Their approach is all about relaxation, but I don't think that's gonna cut it this time around πŸ˜’. Coach McCullum needs to bring his A-game (or should I say, his B-team? 🀣) if they wanna even give the Aussies a run for their money.

And let's be real, Stokes is in for a world of hurt against Starc, the Aussie speed demon πŸ’¨! If he can't handle the heat, then maybe he shouldn't be playing against top-level opposition πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ. England needs to bring their A-game (again πŸ˜‰) or risk being left in the dust 18-0 🚫
 
πŸ€” um so england needs to win this match or its all over haha like what if they dont? πŸ™ˆ 18-0 series lead is massive and england has lost 15 consecutive tests against australia πŸ“‰ that's super demoralizing i think they shouldve taken more time to regroup instead of just relaxing 🀯 coach mccullum said it is a defining moment for the team but can they really turn the series around? πŸ€” stokes vs starc is gonna be huge 😬 and australia seems in good form atm πŸ† 1 win at gabba could shift perception tho πŸ’ͺ
 
I'm really worried about how this series could go down for England... πŸ€” They're so reliant on their spin bowlers and it's gonna be tough to take on Australia's aggressive batting lineup. And Stokes is gonna have a nightmare facing Mitchell Starc... 19 Test dismissals is crazy! 😬 The Gabba conditions are different from Perth, but I'm not sure if that'll make much of a difference. England needs to step up their game and show some real resilience if they wanna turn this series around. A single win could be the magic, but if they drop more games... πŸ€¦β€β™‚οΈ
 
I'm so salty about these Ashes hopes 🀯! Like, what's going on with this team?! They're always so calm and relaxed before a big match, but it's like "come on guys, step up your game!" πŸ˜’ Brendon McCullum is right, though - they need to adapt to those Brisbane conditions if they wanna have any shot at turning this series around. And what's with the reliance on spin bowlers? That's just gonna play right into Australia's hands πŸ™„. Stokes needs to face Starc and get some wins under his belt, pronto! ⏰ A win in Brisbane is all England needs - it's make or break time for them πŸ€”
 
omg this is gonna be a wild ride for england 🀯 i gotta say, their chances are looking super slim but i'm still rooting for them 🌟 they need to pull together and focus on winning one test match at a time ⏱️ it's crazy how much pressure the team is under with australia being so dominant right now 😬 stokes vs starc is gonna be a tough battle but i think england has what it takes to make some magic happen ✨ let's see if they can pull off an upset and save the ashes series 🀞
 
I'm not sure if it's too much to ask but England needs to step up their game already 🀯! I mean, 15 consecutive losses against Australia is just embarrassing and this Ashes series is on the line πŸ†. Brendon McCullum's got to do something different or else they'll be facing another thrashing 😩. And what's with Stokes not being able to handle Starc? Like, come on! It's time for England to buck up and show some spirit πŸ’ͺ!
 
England needs to step up their game πŸ€” - not just on the pitch but also on how they're handling criticism πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ. A relaxed approach isn't always the answer, especially when you're 12 days away from a make-or-break situation ⏰. Stokes is going to have to do better against Starc, and I'm worried that England's spin reliance is gonna be their downfall again πŸ”„. But, on the flip side, if they can pull off an upset at the Gabba, it could change everything 🌊.
 
I think its gonna be super tough for england to make a comeback from this big deficit... πŸ€” their approach to the game has been relaxed, which might not bode well considering how much pressure they're under right now... 😬 a win in brisbane is all they need to shift perception and keep ashdes hopes alive, but if they lose... 🚫 it's gonna be a long time before we see them back on top. australia seems confident after just 1 lost series in over 37 years, which makes it even harder for england to bounce back... πŸ’ͺ
 
I'm so nervous about this Ashes match... it feels like we're reliving that infamous 2013-14 Ashes series all over again 😬. Do you remember how England got thrashed by Australia at Trent Bridge? It's hard to believe that was just a few years ago. Brendon McCullum needs to get the team back on track ASAP. That relaxed approach during the build-up might have been okay, but now they need to bring their A-game. Stokes is gonna have to pull off some magic against Starc 🀯... fingers crossed for England!
 
Back
Top