Ashes 2017/18: How big of a disaster was it?

Sticking with a composed XI:

James Vince was persisted with at the top

A hallmark of recent Ashes tours Down Under had been the panic-stricken changes that England had brought in coming into the 4th and 5th Tests of the series, maybe in a bid to avoid a whitewash.

Bringing in players such as Scott Borthwick (2013-14) and Chris Read (2006-07) for solitary Tests are examples. While both are fine players, with Read known for his exceptional glovework in County cricket, the dynamic of the team was ignored before ringing in these changes. The margins of defeat were more severe in ‘06-07, and while a defeat is a defeat, irrespective of margin, the ’06-07 drubbing came after arguably the greatest Ashes series of the modern era in 2005, which saw England winning for the first time since the late 80s.