Michael Vaughan goes mental, calls England, Australia players to ground on Day 3 despite match being over

England’s Ashes 2025-26 campaign has taken a brutal hit in Australia, and Michael Vaughan has launched a fiery warning after the team crashed to an eight-wicket defeat inside just two days in the first Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth on November 22.

The crushing loss has exposed England’s over-aggressive tactics once again, as Ben Stokes and his men paid the price for reckless batting, repeated collapses, and a complete failure to adapt to Australian conditions. The defeat becomes even more embarrassing given England’s record in Australia over the past 15 years.

Michael Vaughan takes sarcastic swipe after Ashes opener ended within 2 days

Since their last Ashes triumph Down Under, England has lost 14 tests, drawn two, and won none. This match was their golden chance to break that painful streak and gain some early momentum before the pink-ball Test at The Gabba in Brisbane on December 4. But the touring side handed Australia a perfect start to the series.

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A lot of questions are now being asked about England’s attacking strategy. After the crushing defeat, Michael Vaughan has taken a lighthearted jab about the first Test finishing early, noting that Day 3 at the Optus Stadium looked perfect for bowling if only the Test had lasted that long.

He posted on X: "Day 3 in Perth .. A few clouds around a feels like a nice day for Bowling .. #Ashes !!!!!! #IfOnly"

Day 3 in Perth .. A few clouds around a feels like a nice day for Bowling .. #Ashes !!!!!! #IfOnly

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) November 22, 2025

Michael Vaughan tears into England’s reckless batting after Mitchell Starc’s 10-wicket carnage

Furthermore, Vaughan has criticized the team’s habit of playing big, risky shots against world-class bowlers like Mitchell Starc, who finished the match with an incredible 10-wicket haul in Perth. The former England captain has pointed out that the batters looked stubborn in their approach, refusing to adjust to conditions or game situations.

The lack of patience, poor judgment, and refusal to slow down at the right moments led to the downfall of the entire batting unit.

Michael Vaughan said on Kayo Sports, "I'm looking at this England team in this test match and thinking, why have you played so many shots to a world-class bowler like Mitchell Stark? He's got 10 wickets, and he's bowled some good balls, but there have been a lot of mistakes.

And if this England side, and many have said it over the course of the last couple of years, is to win in Australia, you can't play one way. You can't win down by just playing one expansive game. And that's a really ultra-risky game. It's never been done before for a reason.”

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One gear won’t win the Ashes: Michael Vaughan slams England’s Bazball approach

Michael Vaughan has stressed that the national team must adapt their batting approach and do it quickly. He felt they needed to switch between attacking and cautious modes instead of going hard at every ball. He also showed a mirror to England by highlighting that the big attacking shots right from the start of an innings are not realistic, and this stubborn approach is what has put them in trouble.

Well, the commentator admitted that the England cricket team has the talent to compete in Australia and entertain the cricket fans, but they cannot win by playing in just one gear. The cricket pandit further noted that the attacking mindset brings entertainment, but without smart decision-making, it simply cannot win matches in these conditions.

The former England captain added, “If England are going to continue just to play the expansive game, there'll be great entertainment. Let's be honest, for two days, we've been really entertained, but they're not going to win. I generally feel this England side has got enough tools here to be really competitive. But you can't be competitive without brains. You can't just play one way, and they've just tried to play this one way, and today they've come unstuck.”

He stressed that the England team must reflect on every mistake made in Perth or risk losing the Ashes 2025-26 series to Australia. Vaughan signed off by saying, “If they're not sitting down as a batting unit and going through all the mistakes that they've made this week, they're going to get absolutely hammered. They have to learn from the mistakes that they've made this week.”