England great Sir Geoffrey Boycott believes the current side are capable of beating Australia for the first time since the 2010–11 series.
The former opener said the present Australian team are “not unbeatable” and that the visitors are, player for player, more talented than the hosts. While acknowledging England’s impressive talent pool, Boycott called for a more measured approach from Ben Stokes and his team.
“England can beat Australia in Brisbane,” Boycott wrote in his column for *The Telegraph*. “Man for man, they are more talented than the Aussies, but it doesn’t help our chances of success if Ben Stokes keeps encouraging our batsmen to attack, attack, with one finger hovering over the self-destruct button. Nobody is asking the players to stop being positive, because they have given us some marvellous, thrilling and entertaining cricket. All we ask is for them to use their brains and realise there are times when they should throttle back, be aware of situations and bat accordingly. These Australians are not unbeatable, but our England team keeps giving them ways back into the game.”
In the first Test in Perth, England were bowled out for 172 in their first innings. However, they secured a 40-run lead thanks to a brilliant bowling performance from captain Ben Stokes, who claimed a five-wicket haul. England set Australia a target of 205 in the fourth innings, but Travis Head wrested the match away with a breathtaking 123 from just 83 balls.
The second Test of the series is scheduled to begin on December 4 at the Gabba in Brisbane.
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