The first Test of the 2025/26 Ashes was nothing short of seismic — and Travis Head was sitting in the driver’s seat. In a whirlwind chase of 205, he smashed a blistering 123 off just 83 balls, with his century arriving in only 69 deliveries, the second-fastest in Ashes history. With a strike rate north of 140, Head didn’t just beat England — he out-Bazballed the Bazballers.

For Ben Stokes, that knock feels like a brutal warning. Not only did his team collapse to an eight-wicket defeat in two days, but Head’s audacious counterpunch now casts the spotlight on what may be Stokes’s last-chance saloon. The skipper gave his all — with a fiery spell of 5/23, the best-ever figures by an England captain in an Ashes Test in Australia. But this kind of brilliance from Stokes is becoming a lifeline, not a springboard.

Why This Defeat Is No Surprise

This loss, for all its drama, is not a fluke — it fits a larger pattern. England under Stokes (and Brendon McCullum’s broader Bazball ethos) has embraced a high-risk, high-reward style. But opponents like Australia have learned to counterpunch. Travis Head’s knock wasn’t just a show of skill — it was exploitation of the very mindset Stokes has championed.

Here’s a long-term perspective on England’s Test record against Australia and India, which helps explain how fragile the foundation might be:

England Test Record vs India & Australia (Under Ben Stokes)

Team	Matches	Wins	Losses	Draws	Win %
IND	11	4	7	0	36%
AUS	6	2	3	1	33%

Why the baz-ball batting is impacting their bowling

England’s Bazball approach is beginning to show cracks, especially in the way it impacts their bowlers. By batting ultra-aggressively and often collapsing quickly, England’s innings tend to be shorter, leaving their bowlers with far less recovery time compared to opponents. In the 2025 India series, this imbalance was stark: England’s bowlers delivered ~565 overs across the five Tests, while India’s attack bowled ~495 overs. That difference of nearly 70 overs is the equivalent of an extra Test match’s workload piled onto England’s seamers and spinners.

This extra burden has consequences. Fast bowlers like Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse each bowled over 115 overs in just three matches, while Shoaib Bashir crossed 140 overs. In contrast, India’s leading quicks such as Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah bowled fewer overs despite playing similar numbers of Tests. The result is that England’s bowlers often look fatigued late in series, with diminished pace and accuracy, while opponents can rotate fresher attacks. The bowling attack at their disposal on the tour is extremely prone to injuries so that will be the ultimate test!

Travis Head didn’t just beat England — he stole their script. But for Ben Stokes and his Bazball brigade, the door is not yet shut. There’s still time to create history, to turn this last-chance saloon into a throne room. Yet that window is narrowing fast. If Stokes wants to salvage the legacy of his captaincy, he needs to rethink not just the mindset but how he manages his resources.