England in Ashes 2005 (L) and England in Ashes 2025-26 (R) (Source: AFP)
With an eight-wicket defeat on the fourth day of the second Test in the ongoing Ashes 2025-26 against Australia, England faced their second consecutive loss in the current edition. Notably, they have been humiliated by the same margin of eight wickets each in Perth and Brisbane.
The Gabba debacle was also the 15th Test defeat for the Englishmen in Ashes matches on Australian soil, with only two drawn games in a total of 17 played here since 2011. These numbers clearly show how England have been brutally outmuscled by Australia in Australia. Even in England, the series-win difference isn't very promising, except for the one in 2013.
The last time England won a Test match in Australia was the time when Brexit was still nine years away, and their current prime minister, Keir Starmer, was still a human rights barrister and yet to start his political career four years later.
Given that, here’s a look at England’s rise and fall in the last two decades to decode the question of whether the Ashes is still the cricketing world’s toughest rivalry or just an ‘ash’ of an English ego, which hasn’t an inch of fire left in it.
Misery in Australia against the English notion of the Ashes
There’s a famous English notion or in other words, a massive misconception that ‘Ashes is still the toughest rivalry, be it in England or in Australia’. But the numbers and their misery in Australia have a different statistical and factual story to burst this English narrative.
England in Australia since 2011 (Ashes Matches)
Criterion
Data
Matches
17
Won
0
Lost
15
Tied
0
Draw
2
Last time, it was the Test match number 1989 on January 7, 2011 when England defeated Australia in Australia by an innings and 83 runs. Since then, the win in Australia has become as distant for England as Delhi is for them since 1947.
An overall total of 622 Tests have been played, with total Test matches going to 2611 since England's Sydney win against Australia and 17 Tests out of them have been played in Ashes on Australian soil since then. In these 17 games, Australia have won 15 games, with two games ending in a draw.
The above stated numbers are enough to tell that the Aussies have made England ‘grovel’ in Ashes on Australian soil. With the current Ashes scorecard being 2-0 in favour of Australia also reflects a possibility that England might have to wait a bit more to have a winning smile on Aussie soil.
The overall Ashes dynamics since 2005 in both England and Australia
Ashes Editions since 2005
Hosts/Editions
England Won
Australia Won
Tied
England / 6
4
0
2 (AUS lifted)
Australia / 6*
1
4, (with 2-0
in Ashes 2025-26)*
0
Total / 12
5
4
2 (AUS lifted)
Including the ongoing Ashes 2025-26, England and Australia have faced each other in 12 editions, with six each in England and Australia. Speaking of England’s performance at their home soil in Ashes, they have won four editions, with two getting tied in 2019 and 2023 and Australia lifting the title as the holders (practically a defeat for England if we avoid taking moral victories into account).
In the six editions played in Australia, England have won just one in 2010-11, and lost three with one more series defeat on the cards in the current edition.
Ashes Matches in England since 2005
Criterion
Data
Matches
30
ENG Won
14
AUS Won
8
Tied
0
Draw
8
Ashes Matches in Australia since 2005
Criterion
Data
Matches
27
ENG Won
3
AUS Won
21
Tied
0
Draw
3
In 30 Tests played at their home soil, England have won 14 while losing eight games, including eight drawn games. On a similar scale, if we calculate Australia’s dominance in Australia, they have played 27 Ashes Tests against England here, winning 21 games while losing just three games, and playing three drawn games.
Overall Ashes Matches Since 2005
Criterion
Data
Matches
57
ENG Won
17
AUS Won
29
Tied
0
Draw
11
So, in the last two decades of 12 Ashes editions (including the ongoing one) both in England and Australia, the Three Lions have won just 17 games while losing 29, and playing 11 drawn games against the Aussies.
Conclusion: Time to call it ‘Aussie flex’ instead of a rivalry
After seeing Aussies winning more than 50 percent (50.87) of the Ashes matches in last two decades and 12 editions since 2005, it will not be an exaggeration or a false claim to name the Ashes a new stage of ‘Aussie flex’ instead of dragging it into the ‘toughest rivalry’ debate.
The same is also visible with England’s winning percentage of just 29.82 in the same number of matches and 19.29 percent of games ending in a draw.
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England in Ashes 2005 (L) and England in Ashes 2025-26 (R) (Source: AFP)
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