England ended their enthralling series against India with a heartbreaking loss at the Oval as Mohammed Siraj's fast-bowling heroics sealed an unforgettable six-run win for the tourists.
That meant a 2-2 draw, the same outcome as when Ben Stokes' side faced Australia in 2023.
Heading into the forthcoming 2025/26 Ashes series Down Under, where England are trying to reclaim the urn for the first time in a decade, it leaves their prospects hard to pin down.
On one hand, the Brendon McCullum-coached side play a thrillingly aggressive brand of cricket that makes run chases such as their incredible first-Test success against India at Headingley — not to mention coming within a whisker of hauling in 374 in the decider — possible when all logic suggests otherwise.
However, the manner in which India were allowed to battle back from hopeless positions in the fourth and fifth Tests suggests England lack the ruthless steak that will be needed to prevail in the cauldron of an away Ashes series.
Here is an English perspective on the main areas of concern ahead of facing the old enemy.
MORE: How the thrilling finale of the final Test between England and India unfolded
England lessons for Ashes 2025/26: Four biggest issues from India series
Below, The Sporting News explores the key takeaways from the India series and what England need to address before the Ashes tour begins.
Should Crawley play in Australia?
Australia's top order issues are likely to dominate much of the conversation around the hosts heading into November's opening Test in Perth. England at least have one spot nailed down with no complaints whatsoever. Ben Duckett underlined his claims to be the best all-format opener in the sport with three fifties against India alongside a spectacular 149 that propelled the successful pursuit of 371 at Headingley. Duckett did this while scoring at a higher strike rate (82.94) than anyone in the series.
His partner at the top of the order, Zak Crawley, has long been a source of debate in English cricket. The 27-year-old strokemaker still fails more often than should be acceptable 59 Tests into his career.
And yet, he's been persisted with for so long with this gig in mind, given Australia's true, bouncy pitches should suit his aggressive style. Crawley also averages 43.06 in Ashes Tests. A solid, if unspectacular, series return against India of three half-centuries mean Stokes and McCullum are not going to change course now.
In tandem and at their best, Duckett and Crawley can take games away from the opposition and are a key part of England's path to victory in Australia.
Pope a problem as England's No. 3
From most angles, the Duckett-Crawley alliance now looks like a net positive. It's getting harder to say the same for Pope at first drop. The India series was the Surrey batter's career in microcosm. He started with a majestic century in Leeds but only passed fifty once more in nine subsequent attempts and remains akin to a non-event when batting in the fourth innings — an obvious problem for a team that like to chase as much as England do.
Pope has centuries against every Test nation barring Australia (average of 15.7 in 10 innings…AAARRRGGGHHHH!) and is a batter of rare gifts when he hits top form. But he isn't a natural No. 3 and has played there throughout the Stokes era mainly because there are even better fours, fives and sixes than him. Like Crawley, the lack of an obvious replacement probably works in his favour.
One workaround could be dropping him down to six, where Pope batted nicely when forced into action as an emergency wicketkeeper versus New Zealand last year. Captain Stokes could perhaps swap positions with him — not a perfect solution, given the all-rounder's bowling burden, but he has the defensive technique to play there and it could even mitigate Stokes' recent issues facing spin.
England need a spin doctor — and a Leach
Without being unkind, you wouldn't expect Stokes to have too many problems facing any of England's current spin options. Shoaib Bashir missed the final two Tests of the India series with an injured hand, but his place in the team was hanging by a thread at that point. The 21-year-old off-spinner has obvious potential, but his lack of first-class experience is evident too often. Ricky Ponting saying Bashir should be England's first choice for the Ashes seemed like the former Aussie skipper trying to play 4D chess.
In Bashir's absence, Liam Dawson and Jacob Bethell nominally took on spinning duties. Dawson bowled a lot for one wicket at Old Trafford and Bethell barely bowled at all at a seamer-friendly Oval. Bethell and leg-spinning all-rounder Rehan Ahmed — who has reinvented himself as a destructive top-order batter at Leicestershire — feel like good bets to travel and maybe play. But the 'Bazball' ethos of chasing wickets and pushing the game forward at all times points towards picking the best frontline spinner. Even at 34 years of age, that man remains Jack Leach.
MORE: Highest run-scorers in England vs. India series
Now is the time for the Archer-Wood attack
The fifth Test of the English summer was slated as Mark Wood's potential return date from a knee injury. That didn't come to pass, but McCullum was bullish over the fast bowler's prospects of being fit for the Ashes. England being unable to get 2019 World Cup heroes Wood and Jofra Archer on the field and sending down 90 mph rockets at the same time has been a perpetual frustration. Archer's successful return in the India series means this finally feels possible against Australia.
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Both men's workload will have to be managed carefully, meaning the emergence of Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse as two young men who can bowl long, heavy spells could be huge. Both should enjoy Australia's hard pitches. By contrast, Jamie Overton showed there have been compelling reasons for him being kept in reserve over the past three years with an ineffective showing at the Oval.
Part of the context for this was Chris Woakes' shoulder injury, which left Overton, Atkinson and Josh Tongue operating as a three-man seam attack. The injury looks serious enough to rob England of their senior seamer for a substantial length of time. If the veteran is ruled out, it should bring the perplexingly overlooked Matthew Potts back into the fray. Tongue, a raw quick with a knack for clattering through lower orders, will also come into an equation that tentatively reads three Tests apiece for Archer and Wood and building everything else around that.
Sporting News UK's England XI for the first Ashes Test in Perth
Duckett, Crawley, Stokes (capt), Root, Brook, Pope, Smith, Atkinson, Carse, Archer, Leach