Exclusive: Pressure Moments Costing England, says Tymal Mills as Ashes Slips Away

England pacer Tymal Mills believes Australia have simply handled the pressure moments better in the ongoing Ashes, a difference he says has left England facing “a tough road back” in the series.

Tymal, who is currently part of Dubai Capitals in the ongoing ILT20, while speaking to SportsBoom, said England have fallen short in the clutch passages of play.

“Australia have just identified the really key moments and what to do in those moments. They’ve done that better than England through the first two Tests,” Mills said. 

“On balance, they’ve been the better team, and from an English point of view, it has been tough. It’ll be a tough road back if England are going to win it, but I’m sure they’ll believe they can.”

Mills, who has been following the Ashes closely while turning out for Dubai Capitals, pointed to Mitchell Starc’s impact and Travis Head’s innings in the opening Test as major early series-breakers.

Mills on the Bazball Debate

With England’s approach again under scrutiny, Mills said the team does not need an overhaul, only a sharper reading of match situations.

“Stokes and McCullum want to empower players to express themselves and play aggressive cricket, but you have to be a little bit smarter with when to attack and when to pull back,” he told SportsBoom.com in an exclusive interview.

“You want to entertain, but other teams are trying to do the same thing. It’s about identifying situations and pushing when you need to, sitting back when you need to dig in.”

He highlighted how Stokes and Will Jacks showed the value of absorbing pressure in Brisbane, even though the fightback came a bit too late.

Additionally, in a stinging assessment, former England pacer Matthew Hoggard told SportsBoom the team have “lost all sense of game awareness,” accusing them of playing “brainless cricket” as the Bazball philosophy comes under intense scrutiny during the Ashes collapse.

Selections “As Expected"

Mills backed England’s Ashes selections, saying the management had rightly stuck with a group they’ve invested in over the last two years.

“They picked a group of players a while ago with this tour in mind. As a player it’s a great feeling when you’re backed and given a long opportunity,” he added. 

He added that Matt Fisher, who replaced the injured Mark Wood in the squad, is “a really good bowler” and could be one to watch in the remaining games.

The transition from the Anderson-Broad era, Mills said, was always going to be a significant shift.

“They had the smartness, the leadership, the skill with the ball. They’d seen everything, the good and the bad. But you always have to move on and have the next people as ready as possible.”

On standout performers, Mills said Ben Stokes continues to set the standard.

“Stokes has led by example with bat and ball. Alongside Joe Root, he’s been the one showing the fight England need,” he said, noting that England now require “a few more players to go along with those guys”.

England’s Chances: “Never Say Never”

Despite England being 2–0 down, Mills did not rule out a comeback, although he admitted the odds are steep.

“England have never come back from 2–0 to win 3–2, so they know it’s difficult. But you never say never. There’s no point playing cricket if you don’t believe you can win,” he said.

“You take it a session at a time. Win the first session, then the next, and so on.”

With Pat Cummins likely to return for Australia, Mills expects the challenge to get even tougher, but stressed that England’s minimum requirement now is to show “fight and determination."