The urn slipped from England's grasp for the first time in over four years yesterday with a 150-run defeat at Perth, putting Australia three up with two to play and Wednesday's headlines pulled no punches.
"England's rocks reduced to rubble", said the Times, while the Sun splashed "We're tr-Ash" across its sports pages.
There have been calls to dump some underperforming senior players, including Kevin Pietersen and wicketkeeper Matt Prior, but Fleet Street argued that England must hold its nerve when rebuilding for the home return series in 2015.
"Quite often, at international level, your best team is probably the XI that are already in the field," he added. "Those players just have to find a way of proving that again, as Australia did this winter."
The Guardian's Mike Selvey said England had 14 Tests "to assemble and give experience to a team that can compete with Australia."
He backed under-fire captain Alastair Cook and coach Andy Flower as the men to lead the rebuilding process, but called for a change of strategy.
"There is certainly a case for bringing about a change in the culture of the side, where micro-management has been taken to excessive degrees," he said.
"A greater emphasis on players taking full responsibility for their own games will also be high on an agenda.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
