'Should have been us’: Tigers’ historic win reopens England’s Ashes wounds

Bangladesh’s stunning nine-wicket victory over Australia in Darwin has left England with a painful case of what might have been.

Rather than simply revelling in Australia’s heavy defeat, several former England greats have been left lamenting the missed opportunity of last winter’s Ashes, with Bangladesh’s performance exposing just how much England failed to capitalise on an Australian side they now believe was there for the taking.

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“The result leaves a real bitter, sour taste that’s still not disappeared from England’s winter’s work,” former England seamer Stuart Broad said on his For the Love of Cricket podcast.

“That could have been us, should have been us.”

That could have been us, should have been us.

Stuart Broad said on his 'For the Love of Cricket' podcast

Broad had been among the most vocal critics of Australia before the Ashes, questioning whether their ageing side was good enough. Australia went on to win the series 4-1, but their capitulation against Bangladesh has revived those doubts.

Broad said Australia may now need to bring in “fresh blood”, while former England captain Michael Atherton described Bangladesh’s victory as a “missed opportunity” for England.

Writing in The Times, Atherton said the result had brought back the “lasting pain and embarrassment” of England’s Ashes failure. He also argued that Bangladesh’s achievement carried significance well beyond England’s own regrets, showing the importance of giving more teams meaningful opportunities in Test cricket.

“More and more, England and Australia see their commercial ambitions orbiting around India, but it is a dangerous game to view the cricketing landscape in such a tripartite way,” Atherton wrote.

Bangladesh’s victory, he argued, was a reminder that a healthy Test game needs greater breadth and variety, with opportunities for teams outside the traditional powerhouses.

That same sense of frustration was evident on the Stick to Cricket podcast, where former England captain Michael Vaughan called it “a tremendous week for Bangladesh” and described the result as their “greatest ever Test victory”.

Phil Tufnell went even further, calling it one of the biggest upsets he could remember.

Vaughan also cited Australian journalist Robert Craddock’s assessment of the defeat, saying Craddock had described it as the “worst ever Test loss for Australian cricket”.

Vaughan was particularly impressed by how Bangladesh had gone about the victory.

“They haven’t got airspeed, and they haven’t got rapid bowlers,” he said. “They’ve got top of off, little dobbers, they’ve got a good offie (off-spinner).”

He pointed to Bangladesh’s disciplined batting and simple approach, adding: “They kind of just played a very basic game and battered ’em.”

For Tufnell, however, the performance was another reminder of England’s failure during the Ashes.

“Should’ve been us,” he said.

When Vaughan pointed out that Bangladesh had beaten Australia’s first-choice side, Tufnell returned to the same point.

I know. It should’ve been us. That’s why we all came back from there so annoyed, because we thought that that should’ve been us.

Michael Vaughan said on 'Stick to Cricket' podcast

“I know. It should’ve been us. That’s why we all came back from there so annoyed, because we thought that that should’ve been us. You know what I mean? That performance should’ve been us.”

Nasser Hussain was similarly struck by Bangladesh’s performance.

“England aren’t even playing at the moment, and it’s all about what could have been last winter,” he wrote for Sky Sports.

“A few journalists were writing them off completely. But they played proper Test match cricket. And I think that’s what infuriates a few England fans, really.”

England aren’t even playing at the moment, and it’s all about what could have been last winter.

Nasser Hussain wrote on Sky Sports

The Tigers did more than simply upset Australia. They dismantled a full-strength side in a manner England rarely managed during the Ashes.

The Telegraph cricket correspondent Will Macpherson said the defeat should leave England “deeply uncomfortable”, arguing that Australia had been there for the taking during the Ashes.

Bangladesh, he noted, had not merely benefited from an Australian implosion. They had controlled the contest in a way England had rarely threatened to do.

“Not only did Bangladesh beat Australia’s best, but they did so in style, controlling the game in a way England never even threatened to,” The Telegraph wrote.

England’s Ashes problems had been evident at the time. They bowled Australia out cheaply early in the series but could not turn those openings into sustained pressure. Poor preparation, loose bowling, questionable shot selection and a lack of consistency ultimately allowed Australia to emerge with a 4-1 victory.

Bangladesh, by contrast, seized their chances.

They exploited Australia’s weaknesses, posted a commanding first-innings total and then made sure the hosts could not recover. The result was not built around one extraordinary spell or a freak session. It was a four-day dismantling of the world’s top-ranked Test side.

For England, that makes the Darwin result sting even more.