'The one that got away' - Sir Alastair Cook reflects on blown opportunity for England after Ashes drubbing
Published 08/01/2026 at 06:56 GMT
Former England captain Alastair Cook reflects on how England squandered chances at key moments to regain the Ashes in Australia. Cook and Graeme Swann agreed Australia's key absences presented a golden opportunity. However, Justin Langer pointed towards England's own injury woes throughout the series. Watch England's white-ball tour of Sri Lanka live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Australia lift the urn after Ashes series win
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Sir Alastair Cook described this NRMA Insurance men’s Ashes series as "the one that got away" after the tourists succumbed to a 4-1 series defeat in Sydney.
England’s bid to win a series down under for the first time in 15 years came to a screeching halt as they lost the first three Tests, despite facing an ageing Australian side missing several key bowlers.
And though they salvaged some pride by winning a Test down under - in Melbourne's fourth Test - for the first time since 2011, they were well beaten again in Sydney to round out the series.
Cook said: "Australia won all the big moments. Every time the game was up for grabs, whether it was in the field, with the bat or with the ball, they won those moments.
"The 4-1 scoreline doesn’t flatter them. It is a fair reflection in the gulf between the sides.
"Australia played to the peak of their ability with the group of players and England have been underneath their potential – too many of them. You can’t afford to do that in Australia.
"As an Englishman in Australia, sometimes you come against some very, very good sides and you know you are not going to win but this is without a shadow of a doubt the one that got away."
Fielding moments ultimately separate the sides
Throughout the series, England showed flashes of quality with bat and ball, but failed to deliver in key moments – something Australia took full advantage of.
Captain Ben Stokes lamented this after the third Test in Adelaide, and ex-England spinner Graeme Swann pointed out the difference in fielding between the two sides.
He said: "Pretty even Stevens with the bat, but Australia were undoubtedly better with the ball and in the field it was a no-brainer.
"At the times when you really need to take a catch and the half-chances to win a game, Australia did that.
"I come back to the two catches Labuschagne took in Adelaide which were game-changing catches."
"They outperformed what I thought they were capable of and England underperformed in this tour."
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'As good as you'll see!' - Brilliant Labuschagne catch ends Pope's innings
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Former Australian coach Justin Langer was more sympathetic towards the tourists, pointing out that the tourists lost both Mark Wood and Jofra Archer to injuries mid-series.
However, he also believed England should have taken advantage of Australia’s depleted bowling attack as skipper Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood, who have 1177 Test wickets between them, barely featured.
Lyon played two of the first three Tests – but only bowled two overs in Perth – while Cummins only featured in Adelaide as he managed his workload. Hazlewood was ruled out entirely through injury.
Langer said: "Without Archer and Wood, [England] broke down through the series.
"If England had come here knowing they weren’t going to play Hazlewood, Lyon and Cummins you would have been licking your lips."
Despite this, Cook criticised England’s selection process as their squad preparation focused on raw speed among their seamers.
He said: "England missed another trick by thinking that they just need pace.
"They didn’t need pace, they needed accuracy and England have a lot of bowlers with accuracy and they haven’t picked them."
"These pitches were totally different to what they have been before."
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