New Delhi, Dec 31 (IANS) Australia opener Travis Head expressed hope that England and Australia will revive their tradition of meeting for a drink after the Ashes. This practice was somewhat disrupted in 2023 due to deteriorating relationships over the series.

Australia currently lead the series 3-1 and have already secured victory, marking their fifth consecutive Ashes series victory and their ongoing hold on the urn.

Relations between the two sides worsened significantly during the second Test of the 2023 Ashes in England after Alex Carey stumped Jonny Bairstow when Bairstow stepped out of his crease while ducking a ball from Cameron Green.

The incident was followed by ugly scenes at Lord’s, where Australian players were subjected to verbal abuse from MCC members in the Long Room. In the aftermath, England head coach Brendon McCullum said that, considering what had happened, he could not see how the teams could come together for their customary end-of-series drink.

“There’s definitely mutual respect. I get along with a couple of them really well. There’s some really good relationships with both teams. I’m looking forward to having a beer with Ducky (Ben Duckett). So, yeah, it’d be a nice moment. It’s obviously nice going there knowing that we’ve won the series,” Head was quoted as saying by The Australian newspaper on Wednesday.

McCullum later said the teams would eventually get together after England won the final Test, which saw the series end in a 2–2 draw. However, the delay drew criticism from sections of the Australian media, with suggestions that England had deliberately avoided the traditional gathering. Captain Ben Stokes rejected those claims, explaining that England’s post-series commitments at The Oval ran longer than planned because of farewell moments for players and staff.

In contrast, the 2025 Ashes in Australia has unfolded in a far more amicable atmosphere. Any controversy has largely centred on issues affecting both teams, such as disputed snicko readings and the surface for the fourth Test at the MCG, which led to the second two-day Test of the series.

The calmer tone has also been influenced by England’s struggles on the field. After failing to match Australia in the opening three Tests, they slumped to a 3–0 deficit and, once again, surrendered the Ashes, extending their drought to a fifth consecutive year.

Their ultra-aggressive approach under Stokes and McCullum backfired, intensifying scrutiny and criticism, even though they managed to end a 15-year wait for a Test victory in Australia with their win at the MCG.

–IANS

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