The only way England can win Ashes is if their fast bowlers perform and hold their chances: Ian Chappell

Ahead of the summer of 2024, England team management took a bold decision and had a tough chat with legendary James Anderson following which, the pacer announced his retirement. Captain Ben Stokes made it crystal clear that the goal moving forward is to build players and create the perfect team that can help England win the upcoming Ashes in 2025. Keeping that in mind, he called for a pace revolution in the national team and also brought in Jamie Smith in the playing XI, ahead of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes.

Meanwhile, ever since Stokes took over the captaincy, he promoted an aggressive approach with the bat, which has given results so far but a series win over Australia and India is still pending. They will be playing the Rohit Sharma-led side in a five-match series in 2025 summer but that’s not a cause of headache for Stokes, as he is determined to bring the urn back to England.

Former Australia captain Ian Chappell understands the urge and believes that England have a very good squad but pointed out their flaws in the longest format. The Three Lions have struggled against tailenders recently and Chappell wants them to improve on that to get the job done in Down Under. Their fielding effort too is under scrutiny and that will be a big challenge in Australia, where the crowd will make noise at every chance.

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“In addition to catching well, the England team has to learn to dismiss the lower order cheaply. Despite having an excellent attacking captain - the right leader for an Australia tour - England's record against lower-order batters is often abysmal,” Chappell wrote in his column for ESPN.

“Choosing the right type of player to succeed in Australia is imperative. However, the only way England can win a tough series is if their fast bowlers perform and they hold their chances,” he added. 

Chappell believes that the absence of David Warner can hurt Australia in the marquee series. He mentioned that England's pace unit looks strong after Gus Atkinson’s inclusion and expects Jofra Archer to be fit, which will add more value.

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“A strong England side to tour Australia would include a fit Atkinson, Wood, and hopefully Jofra Archer, to ensure the seam bowlers are complemented by fast men. The Australian batting is vulnerable, especially without the aggressive opening talents of David Warner,” Chappell wrote.