Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg believes that England’s turning point came with the inclusion of Chris Woakes in the final three Ashes Tests as his presence had a significant impact on the team’s performance.
Woakes was crowned as England’s player of the series despite featuring in just three out of the five Tests. His remarkable performance in those three matches saw him claim 19 wickets and contribute valuable runs lower down the order.
On the final day of the series, Woakes played a pivotal role by dismissing both the Australian openers, triggering a momentum shift in favour of England.
“I thought Chris Woakes’ inclusion in the last three Tests was the change that set the scene for England. He dominated with the ball with 19 wickets and the majority of those were top six batters,” Hogg said on his YouTube channel.
England faced severe criticism for their approach in the first two Tests. However, as the series progressed, they stuck to their natural playing style while also displaying a better understanding of their game plan which allowed them to eventually execute a 2-2 series draw.
Hogg believed that England played better cricket throughout the five-match series, adding that their plans were a lot better than Australia’s.
“I thought Ben Stokes was brilliant with his attacking style, he backs his players and if you back your players, then you are going to get results. In doing that, England played better cricket throughout the series, they were the better team, there is no doubt about that.
“I thought there was one Test where Cummins sort of lost his way a little bit, the pressure got to him and that was the fourth Test. But he came back with a vengeance in the fifth Test and did exceptionally well. But, all in all, I think England’s plans were a lot better than Australia’s,” he said.i
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