'Bloody stupid': Cricket great shreds 'bulls**t' England mentality
Cricket legend Sir Geoffrey Boycott has lambasted England for their mentality following a heavy loss to Australia in the first Ashes Test at the Gabba.
Australia humbled England in the opening Ashes Test after hunting down the 20-run target just after lunch on Day 4.
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While England showed some fight on Day 3, largely thanks to a good innings from captain Joe Root, the visitors lost 8-74 to be bowled out in the first session of Day 4.
The morning began with England 58 runs shy and hopes of Dawid Malan and Joe Root steering them well ahead ended in tatters.
Root was cautiously optimistic about England's chances of bouncing back following the loss and said his team couldn't be counted out yet in the long tour.
But, Boycott was more critical of the team's approach to the first Test and said they were under prepared for a roaring Australian outfit.
“Face up to the fact that England made mistakes which didn’t help our team,” he wrote for the UK Telegraph.
“For a start, your batsmen and bowlers looked underdone and should have had three or four competitive matches before the series. The planning was all wrong.”
Boycott also took aim at the team's reliance on allrounder Ben Stokes.
The hero of Headingley came into the series underdone after recovering from a finger operation and taking time off from the game.
Stokes appeared below his best both with the bat and the ball and Boycott said the team couldn't just count on him to save them every time they are down.
“All the hype that he’s back and what he brings to the dressing room is bulls***. He is not a messiah. He can’t bat and bowl for everyone," he added.
“My experience tells me when you are out in the middle, batting or bowling, each player has to do his own thing. You are on your own with decisions to make about where to bowl or what shot to play."
Boycott did save some praise for Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, who he labelled the best two pace bowlers in the world.
Nathan Lyon makes history at Gabba
Nathan Lyon became just the third man in Australian history to reach 400 Test wickets during the first Ashes Test.
The offspinner took four wickets on Saturday morning, England collapsing from 2-220 to be all out for 297.
Lyon waited almost a year to bring up his 400th Test wicket, but when it came in the fourth over of day four at the Gabba it triggered a dramatic collapse from the visitors.
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