The Ashes: Stuart Broad gives his verdict on England’s bowling unit after series loss Down Under | cricket news

England’s batsmen have been hit hard after numerous collapses that led to their fourth successive Ashes series defeat in Australia.

But how have the pitchers been doing?

Stuart Broad, England’s second-highest ever Test wicket-taker and a member of the team that won 3-1 Down Under in 2010/11, runs the rules on the tourists’ seamers to see whose stock has risen, whose England careers may be over, who cannot take the new ball and whose body language needs to improve going forward.

Josh Tongue ‘did himself a good deed’

12 wickets in two Tests at 18.58 (best of 5-45)

Extensive content: “Tongue should have played more. He was man of the match in Melbourne and looking at it now, do you think England missed a trick by not playing him at The Gabba and perhaps at Optus Stadium in the first Test?

“He exposed his full length, got Steve Smith out three times in Test cricket and twice in county cricket, and bowled a slightly different angle – the crease is wider but he can move the ball a long way.

“He needs protection in the sense that he will bowl bad balls, so he needs someone to defend and hold the zone in the bowling attack, but Tongue has done a world of good being himself on this trip.”

Gus Atkinson ‘needs to improve his body language’

6 wickets at 47.33 in 3 Tests (2-28 best)

Extensive content: “Atkinson has amazing stats – he still averages under 25 with the ball, can rock the seams, swing, is tall and consistent – but his body language is not that of a fighting Test match bowler – he has worked hard to do that.

“When you play a team that needs to dominate and win, it doesn’t matter as much, but against a top team, that’s not the case. So his area of ​​improvement is not the quality or mental ability to deal with pressure, but letting the team know that you’re leading this group.

“I read about Tiger Woods who never looks at the floor when he plays golf. His eyes are always above the horizon, so he’s very strong in his body language.

“When I was under pressure or struggling, I kept my eye on the horizon because I didn’t know if anyone would know if I hit a good ball or a bad ball. You’re constantly in the fight and your opponent can’t get the feeling that they’re on you.”

Bryden Cass is ‘not a new ball bowler’

19 wickets in 4 Tests at 25.57 (best of 4-34)

broad language: “Kase I gave absolutely everything. He put his heart and soul into the series and clearly had the support of Ben Stokes as his colleague and team-mate. But he can’t keep taking the new ball. Travis Head must just be laughing out loud.

“I liked the fact that he has adapted to the MCG and gone over the wicket in Adelaide when you see him trying to turn the wicket with an in-swing to the left-hander. The margin for error is absolutely minimal and the dismissal mode is minimal.

“You aim to hit the guy on the line with the off-stump and swing the ball to hit the leg stump. If you don’t swing, you get cut. If you swing too much, you get clipped.

“He bowled really well on the second day in Melbourne, but before this Test he had bowled five overs three times in a row as the main bowler. If you’re gambling on a fifth seamer or someone, I expect that to be the case. There are fielders everywhere, so if you bowl five overs every spell, you might make your captain look foolish.”

Ben Stokes ‘England’s best bowler to hit the top of the stumps’

13 wickets at 21.69 (best of 5-23)

Extensive content: Stokes was reluctant to bowl himself at times. It was Melbourne’s second day when Scott Boland came on to open the batting as a nightwatchman and Carse again got the new ball. I’d say, ‘What’s going on here?’

“I text Rob Key (England cricket director) at 7am saying Stokes should start. He is the best bowler to hit the top of the stumps.

“I think a lot of people are seeing that, as well as Stokes underestimating himself as a bowler or saying it’s not his job and trusting the boys in the team to get him wickets.”

‘Good comeback for Jofra Archer’ But is Mark Wood done with his England shirt?

Jofra Archer: 9 wickets in three Tests (best of 5-53) in 27:11 before the side strain.
Mark Wood: took 0 wickets in one Test before returning home with a knee injury.

Extensive content: “Archer performed well on this trip. Yes, he received some criticism in Brisbane, but he was excellent in Adelaide.”

“I know he went home injured, but he has played three Tests out of five, which is a pretty good result for someone who hasn’t played much Test cricket.

“Unfortunately I’m not sure if Wood will ever see me in an England shirt again. He’s tried everything but he’s been in pain all over his body for three years now.”

Have England chosen to bowl attack on pitches of the past?

Extensive content: “To be honest, I think England have had 18 months to build their bowling attack to fit the ball they had seven or eight years ago – 90mph, tall, bounce and hit the deck.

“In the end, the first day of the series was one of the best bowling performances ever seen from an England team, as they outplayed Australia with sheer pace on a moving pitch.

“What was difficult to watch was the lack of ability to hit the top of the stumps and the bowling performance at The Gabba was one of the worst bowling performances you would ever want to see in your life.

“Australia has almost broken the record for the number of runs scored behind the square on the off side. The cut ball is the worst ball you see in Test cricket because not only does it miss the line, it misses the length at the same time.

“The numbers have gone up because Travis Head is a very good ball-cutter and his quality is up there, but ultimately England’s left-handed bowling has been very poor. That’s been the big problem.”

Ashes series 2025-26 in Australia

Australia leads the five-game series 3-1.