According to Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon, England has changed its strategy for playing Test cricket and is now more focused on winning matches than amusing the crowd. His comments precede Australia’s hosting of the much awaited Ashes later this year.
Recently, England and a determined Indian team drew a five-match Test series 2-2. The Three Lions wasted a chance to win the series and get off to a strong start in their World Test Champions (WTC) 2025–2027 campaign when they lost the last Test at The Oval by six runs.
Lyon did point out that England has some dangerous players in their lineup, like the captain Ben Stokes and the unbeaten Joe Root, who can win games on their own.
“That’s the way they’re playing their cricket, which is totally fine by me. It’s shaping up for one hell of a summer. I think their approach has changed a little bit. They’ve got some stars in their cricket side who can win games of cricket off their own back. Joe Root, Ben Stokes and these guys,” Lyon said as quoted from The Sydney Morning Herald.
“But it looks to me like they’ve totally changed their approach, and they’re trying to think about how to win games of cricket rather than just being pure entertainers. And they’ve played some decent cricket over the last little while.”
Nathan Lyon
Joe Root finished as the second-highest run-getter against India, with 537 runs in nine innings at a remarkable average of 67.12. Over the course of the series, he hit three hundreds. In contrast, Stokes averaged 43.43 and 25.24 in the two departments, scoring 304 runs and taking 17 wickets in four games.
Since they won the Ashes 3-1, England will have a difficult time winning a Test match in Australia for the first time since January 2011. Under Stokes’ direction, England drew 2-2 at home in the previous Ashes. Australia won the series in 2021–2022, hence they presently have the coveted urn.
