Former England captain Michael Vaughan drew widespread criticism on social media for comparing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (India vs Australia) to the Ashes (England vs Australia).
Vaughan’s comments came before of England’s five-match Test series against Australia, in which he remarked that, despite India and Australia delivering competitive cricket in recent years, the Ashes remains the biggest fight in cricket.
Vaughan revealed that, despite the number of India against Australia matches has increased, the build-up to the Ashes is huge.
“No question the India v Aussie series of late down under have been more competitive, but don’t tell me they are bigger than Ashes. The build-up down in Oz for this Ashes is absolutely huge. You don’t get that for an IND v Oz series,” Vaughan said.
His comments quickly went viral on X, triggering backlash from fans who accused him of stirring unnecessary comparisons. Many pointed out that England hasn’t been competitive in Australia for over a decade, mocking his claim about the Ashes’ superiority.
Social media users reminded Vaughan that England’s last Test win on Australian soil came way back in January 2011, when they famously clinched the series 3-1. Since then, England have had three disastrous tours, with an aggregate scoreline of 13-0 in Australia. Their most recent trip in the 2021/22 season ended in a 4-0 loss, which eventually led to Joe Root stepping down as Test captain.
That humiliating defeat forced a major overhaul in English cricket. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) appointed Rob Key as managing director of men’s cricket, who then brought in Brendon McCullum as head coach and handed the captaincy to Ben Stokes.
Despite their poor record in Australia, Vaughan expressed optimism about England’s chances under Stokes, saying that this series could be important for his captaincy.
“I think they need a trophy. I mean, would I take two-all now? Probably, let’s be honest. In the last few series, 2010-11 is the only time that I’ve seen England have success. We won one Test match in 2002-03, we won three Test matches in 2010-11. We haven’t won a Test since. So actually looking at growth in terms of what English cricket is delivering and, crikey, if you could get a two-all series, you’d obviously take that,” he said at a Viagogo event.
He further warned England against relying solely on pace to win in Australia, stressing the importance of bowlers who can hit consistent lines and lengths. Meanwhile, the upcoming Ashes, beginning on 21 November 2025 in Perth, will see England’s most balanced and fastest bowling attack in years, with Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Brydon Carse, and Gus Atkinson all fit.
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