He didn't, he's letting his frustrations with moments obscure the bigger picture.

Verdict (TL;DR)

Not the worst. England lost the series 4–1, but:
They won a Test in Australia for the first time in 15 years (MCG), something none of the 2006–07, 2013–14, 2017–18 or 2021–22 sides managed
They suffered no innings defeats and were never asked to follow on—again, unlike several recent tours.
By simple run/wicket margins and first‑innings control, this was closer than most recent Ashes defeats in Australia

Yes, the mistakes and some daft dismissals were real (and well‑documented), but the broad‑brush “worst ever” takes don’t hold up.

The evidence, point by point
1) Results & defeat margins
2025–26 match margins (defeats):
Perth by 8 wickets; Brisbane by 8 wickets; Adelaide by 82 runs; Sydney by 5 wickets. No defeats by an innings or 200+ runs; plus England won at Melbourne.
Compare that with earlier losing tours in Australia:

2021–22 (4–0): defeats by 9 wickets, 275 runs, an innings & 14 runs, and 146 runs (plus one draw). Multiple heavy defeats.
2017–18 (4–0): 10 wickets, 120 runs, an innings & 41 runs, draw, an innings & 123 runs. Two innings defeats.
2013–14 (5–0): 381 runs, 218 runs, 150 runs, 8 wickets, 281 runs. A whitewash with several 200+‑run defeats.
2006–07 (5–0): 277 runs, 6 wickets, 206 runs, an innings & 99 runs, 10 wickets. A whitewash including an innings loss.
2002–03 (4–1): defeats by 384 runs, an innings & 51, an innings & 48, and 5 wickets (England won the last). Two innings defeats and a huge 300+‑run loss.

Takeaway: 2025–26 had no innings defeats, no 200+‑run defeats, and included a win—clearly more competitive than the 2006–07 and 2013–14 whitewashes, and also less brutal than 2017–18 and 2021–22

2) First‑innings control (a strong proxy for who’s on top)
Across the five Tests, the average 1st‑innings totals were:

2025–26: Australia 346.6 vs England 257.2 → deficit −89.4 runs.

Now compare England’s average first‑innings deficits on the other losing tours:

2002–03: Aus 482.8 vs Eng 296.8 → −186.0
2006–07: 434.2 vs 274.6 → −159.6
2013–14: 356.0 vs 193.8 → −162.2
2017–18: 481.6 vs 353.8 → −127.8
2021–22: 376.8 vs 210.0 → −166.8

Takeaway: This tour’s first‑innings gap (−89) was the smallest of the lot. England were behind, but less far behind, more often.

3) Second‑innings resilience
Average 2nd‑innings totals:

2025–26: England 255.4 vs Australia 183.2 (England stronger in 2nd innings this time).

Relative to previous losing tours, England’s 2nd‑innings average this series was higher by:

+65 runs vs 2021–22, +49 vs 2017–18, +18 vs 2013–14 (and broadly similar/improved vs 2002–03 and 2006–07 when you consider context and chase situations).
Takeaway: England stayed in games deeper more often than in those other defeats—borne out by the late fight at Adelaide, the fourth‑innings chase achieved at Melbourne, and making Australia sweat a little in Sydney before 160 was reeled in.

4) Bowling penetration

England wickets per Test (2025–26): 15.8, higher than each losing tour cited (2002–03: 13.8; 2006–07: 11.8; 2013–14: 15.4; 2017–18: 11.6; 2021–22: 14.6).
This aligns with two all‑outs at Adelaide and Melbourne and 10 wickets at Sydney, despite Australia’s overall superiority.

Posted By: megson on January 8th 2026 at 10:30:52

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