Mentality is reason for England’s losing streak in Australia – McGrath

I sincerely believed that Australia would face difficulties with this Ashes series.

Because of what I have to offer, I always give my 5-0 prediction. If I didn’t, everyone would be disappointed.

England had a good reputation when they arrived. Since 2010-11, this team has had the best chance to win in Australia, and we’ve heard a lot of good things about it.

England have now lost 18 Test matches in Australia. Australia has won 16 of those games. Only because England’s final pair could hold on at the end of the match, the one that occurred in Sydney four years ago, was the result.

Why an England team has gone so long without winning a Test in this nation is almost beyond belief.

I never lost a home Ashes game against a great Australian side. Even the teams I played for were occasionally defeated by the touring English in a Test by some wonderful players like Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting, the Waugh brothers, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, and many others.

I don’t think England’s long, barren run in Australia is due to their players’ performance.

Think of all the men who have played for England Ashes teams since their most recent victory in Australia. James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Kevin Pietersen, and Alastair Cook. The list goes on.

Never won a Test in this country, Joe Root and Ben Stokes, the foundation of this current team and two of the greatest players to have ever played for England.

If the reason we have a long winning streak boils down to mentality, then it must be.

I hear English speakers complaining about how challenging it is to enter Australia so frequently. What actually happens on the field as well as everything else that goes on are irrelevant.

In restaurants and airports, it’s all about getting sledged. Instead of just playing for Australia, England players complain that they have to take on the entire nation. The pitches and the heat are the subjects of a lot of discussion in Australia.

In another way, an Ashes tour of England is considered to be the absolute pinnacle, according to Australians. Everyone wants to be a part of this series.

Yes, we are aware of the difficulty. The Barmy Army can be intimidating, but they can still pull off some clever wit with witty songs.

Along with that difficulty, Australia’s cricket team has some of the most enjoyable times. I enjoyed holding the Dukes ball in my hand as a bowler. At Lord’s, it was always so unique. A trip to England would be wonderful.

Can England players actually become more focused on enjoying a tour of Australia than proclaiming it to be the hardest thing they will ever do?

The two nations’ attitudes are undoubtedly different.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve come across a phrase that comes up when England seems to be doing well.

“It’s the hope that kills you,” he said.

That statement really hits home to me. English hopes are quickly wiped out by more rapid grating than by being quickly raised.

I have no idea why anyone would ever lose hope. With everything I’ve been through in my life, I am aware that people always have hope.

That’s the Australian mindset I’m referring to.

We won’t “win at all costs,” but we never give up until the last run is scored or the last ball is bowled. We constantly venture out and crack it with a red hot gun.

Can England get rid of those mental blocks before the 2029-2030 Ashes in this nation?

With Tests in Melbourne and Sydney, they have two more chances to break their winless streak.

Following England’s humiliation at the Gabba, I stated in my previous column that they needed to win the third Test in Adelaide otherwise the tour might become embarrassing.

England are now facing a significant challenge to avoid losing 5-5 at the Adelaide Oval because they didn’t win.

At the conclusion of the third Test, England at least demonstrated a willingness to change their approach, which enabled them to succeed.

Why did they have to accept that will remain a mystery after two defeats? Still, there are promising signs of progress in the fourth Test.

However, if we’re talking about mentality, England won’t be able to cope with it.

At the Melbourne Cricket Ground, 100 000 spectators are expected to watch them, the majority of whom will be firmly behind Australia. The atmosphere on Friday will be exhilarating because Boxing Day Test is a tradition in Australian sport. Being an English cricket player will be difficult.

England should accept the challenge, take it seriously, and have fun. The players who return to Australia in four years might learn a lot from this.

England still has a chance to recoup some of its losses from this tour. There is currently much discussion about potential players who might still be playing Test cricket in their home country in the summer.

If England can end their run without winning in this debate, those debates will lose their venom.

Losing 3-2 would be so much preferable to 5-0. The most likely outcome is 5-0 if England are unable to change their mentality.