'Same stupid things': English greats unload after Ashes meltdown after two-day defeat
The reaction out of the United Kingdom to England's stunning two-day Ashes defeat has been, well, about as you would expect, with former players lashing the performance.
The visitors appeared to have full control of proceedings early on day two as Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope built the foundation of a lead that Australia would have extreme difficulty chasing.
However, they would then lose four wickets for just 23 runs thanks to Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc, and the door was left ajar for the Aussies.
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Travis Head then delivered one of the all-time great Ashes performances, bashing 123 off 83 balls to turn a difficult run chase into one of the great Test victories.
Australia's Travis Head celebrates his century on day two of the first Ashes test match. AP
In the aftermath, the result gets wilder the more you think about it. Australia put England away in just two days without Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. Nathan Lyon bowled two overs. Usman Khawaja was barely present and threw the batting order into disarray.
It paints a worrying picture for the English, and they have reacted accordingly overnight.
Geoffrey Boycott expressed his fury in The Telegraph, aiming his frustration directly at captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum.
"Before this series started Ben Stokes told the world that any ex-player who criticised them or had a different opinion were "has-beens" because Test cricket had changed and the past was irrelevant," Boycott wrote.
"Well, from this has been the message is simple: when you keep throwing away Test matches by doing the same stupid things it is impossible to take you seriously.
"They never learn, because they never listen to anyone outside their own bubble, because they truly believe their own publicity.
"Now it has bitten them in an Ashes Test, the biggest challenge of all and unless they mount a spectacular comeback, they will regret it for a very long time."
Ben Stokes of England reacts after a Travis Head four. Getty
Former England captain Nasser Hussain has urged the group to stay positive, but knows their task is now incredibly difficult.
"I've seen a lot of Ashes cricket and I've seen a lot of Test cricket, but you have to go a long way to beat what I've seen these last two days," he wrote for Sky Sports.
"The wheels came off for England with bat and ball and it was a stroke of genius for Australia to open with Travis Head. He Bazballed England's Bazballers, let's be honest.
"The whole nation will go at them, start doubting them and laughing at them.
"It is a mountain to climb for England but they have a lot of character and a captain with a lot of character. They are going to need that."
Another great of English cricket in Michael Atherton believes England failed to put Australia away when they had the chance.
"It was a combination of good bowling (by Australia) and poor batting (by England)," he told Sky Sports.
"Australia was right under the cosh when that second wicket partnership was going well between Duckett and Pope and at lunch you felt if England could have one more good session they could almost put the game beyond Australia, but that wasn't to be."
David Warner and Michael Vaughan. Getty
Speaking to Wisden, Michael Vaughan hopes England spends the next week practicing hard for the unique conditions of the upcoming pink ball Test in Brisbane.
"It's amateurish if they don't go an play [a day-night warm-up Test]... What damage is it going to do you as a team and a player to play a pink ball game against Starc? The bowlers even, I mean, they've played two days of cricket and they've been out in the field for what, 70 overs?"
"They're professional cricketers. I can't be so old school to suggest that by playing cricket, you might get a little bit better. I'd like to know why they wouldn't [hold a practice day-nighter]."
A day-night match between England and Australia's Prime Minister XI is scheduled for Canberra next week, but it remains unclear how many of England's top players will take part.
Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. PA Images via Getty Images
McCullum for his part admits this loss is going to hurt for a long time, but won't change the 'Bazball' approach.
"We've been trying to insulate against reacting to things too much for a little while," he told TNT Sport in the UK.
"We know that this one's going to hurt, and it's going to hurt not just us, but all the English people that follow this cricket team as well.
"There'll be a lot of a lot of chatter. For us, it's a matter of making sure that we don't allow our confidence and our camaraderie to dip too low.
"We know that at our best, we're a very good cricket team. We have now got an extended amount of time off over the next 10 to 12 days to make sure that when we get to Brisbane, we bounce back.
"This is a marathon, not a sprint. We've had a very bad day today, but we've done it before. That's our blueprint. We're married to that, and we won't back down from that over the next four Tests."
The second Test will get underway on December fourth from the Gabba, before one-week turnarounds to Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.
