Dark clouds and rolling thunder defined the opening day of the final Ashes 2025/26 Test at the SCG. Zak Crawley’s brief stay at the crease looked even gloomier than the Sydney sky. England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bat on a green-tinged surface.
Despite this, his openers failed to capitalise on the opportunity. Crawley looked assured initially and struck two boundaries in his 29-ball stay. However, he could only muster 16 runs before a lapse in judgment cost him his wicket.
Michael Neser, the Australian seamer, delivered a ball that nipped back sharply off the seam. Crawley played across the line and planted his front foot too far across. The ball thudded into his pads. Umpire Chris Gaffaney raised his finger. A hopeful review confirmed the decision and left England in early trouble at 51-2.
The visitors slumped further to 57-3 when Jacob Bethell edged Scott Boland behind. Joe Root and Harry Brook rescued the innings with a brilliant, unbeaten 154-run partnership. Root finished on 72 not out.
Meanwhile, Brook smashed his way to an unbeaten 78 before bad light and rain forced the players off after just 45 overs. England closed the shortened day on 211-3. Still, the talk stayed on Crawley’s familiar habit of wasting a start instead of making a big score.
Ashes 2025/26: Michael Vaughan criticises Zak Crawley
Away from the pitch, Michael Vaughan, the former England captain, voiced his irritation regarding the opener’s dismissal on the Test Match Special podcast. He argued that Crawley had plenty of talent.
He believed the batter lacked the mental grit that top-level Test cricket requires. Vaughan noted that the opener had stopped playing those loose drives outside off-stump. Even so, the 27-year-old now finds new ways to get out.
“Zak Crawley frustrates the life out of me. His concentration levels are not the strongest. If you go to the start of the series where he played the big booming drives, those drives have gone away now. He’s not chasing the ball outside off stump. But today I was watching him, and that should not get you out as a quality opening batter,” Vaughan remarked.
How has Crawley performed in his Test career so far?
Stats from ESPNCricinfo back up this frustration. The numbers show a clear picture of a player who hasn’t reached his ceiling. After 63 Test matches, the Kent batter averages just 31.58. He has 3,569 runs to his name.
Crawley’s returns in this series match that career mediocrity. He has scored 272 runs at an average of 30.22 despite passing fifty twice. Vaughan insists that a player of his talent should average between 40 and 45.
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Crawley’s future is a bit of a puzzle. He scores enough to keep his place but rarely enough to take over a game. This leaves England to decide if his potential is worth the constant inconsistency.
