Retired England cricketer Chris Woakes has delivered a bullish assessment of his former team's chances in the upcoming Ashes, pointing to significant vulnerabilities in the Australian lineup that he believes can be exploited for a historic series win Down Under.
Identifying the Australian Weaknesses
Speaking at an event hosted by ticket marketplace viagogo, Woakes expressed strong confidence in England's prospects despite the challenges of a five-match series in Australia. The hosts face considerable uncertainty, particularly in their top-order batting, and will be without their captain and key fast bowler Pat Cummins for at least the first Test.
"I think [England] will win," Woakes stated unequivocally. "It's not going to be easy, but I think they've got the tools and the skills to win down there. The team and the squad looks as good as it has for a long time, since 2010/11."
The former all-rounder, who retired from international cricket following this summer's dramatic Test series against India, identified clear areas of concern for the Australians. "There are a few holes in the Australian team," Woakes observed. "It's not the team that you probably would talk about the last few years, or the last ten years. There's probably a bit of uncertainty around their batting lineup."
England's Bowling Strength Key to Success
Woakes, who was named England's Player of the Series in the 2023 Ashes after taking 19 wickets at an average of 18.15, believes the current bowling attack represents England's greatest advantage. Having been part of defeated Ashes touring parties in 2017/18 and 2021/22, where he averaged more than 50 with the ball, Woakes speaks from hard-earned experience.
"The bowling attack for me is probably the number one reason why I think we can go and win in Australia," he emphasised. "I look now at that attack with the depth that they've got. They've got Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse probably won't play the first one, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood."
Woakes highlighted the ideal blend of experience and fresh perspective within the squad. "I think we've got a great balance of guys that have been to Australia and able to draw on that experience. Then other guys who have got no baggage. My gut feel is that the team is in a much better place, and have the tools to win in Australia."
Evolving Batting Approach Under McCullum
Despite England's recent 3-0 ODI series defeat against New Zealand, where batsmen struggled, Woakes doesn't believe this will negatively impact the Test side. He pointed to evidence of maturation within the batting unit throughout the summer, particularly in their approach against high-quality bowling.
"Going to Test matches throughout the summer, I feel like the team was just evolving a little bit with the bat," Woakes explained. "Obviously the natural instinct is to go out there and be aggressive, but it felt like there were times against top-end bowlers, like Jasprit Bumrah or Mohammed Siraj, we had to see them and get through those periods."
This development represents a subtle but important evolution of the 'Bazball' philosophy according to Woakes. "I don't think there's ever a message from the coaches that says, 'right, let's bunker down and try and get through this spell.' But I think the lads have naturally evolved that way to realise, right, we can't just hit Bumrah off his length every ball. It feels like the lads are finding the right way to go about it."
With Ben Stokes leading a confident squad that Woakes believes has the perfect combination of firepower and strategic flexibility, England fans have genuine reason for optimism as they seek their first away Ashes victory in 15 years.
