The Ashes 2023: England are being too stubborn to their attacking style, says Jonathan Agnew

The last two days will haunt England.

If they do not change their approach with the bat they are not going to win the Ashes.

I will not be negative about the principle of playing positive cricket. That I agree with.

But England's approach is turning into stubbornness because they have not learned from defeat at Edgbaston last week.

England should have won that first Test. They were on top for large parts of the game, particularly in that second innings until Joe Root, Harry Brook and Jonny Bairstow all gave their wickets away after making starts.

Afterwards I said they had to keep creating the chaos of Bazball but sense the moment to do so.

They failed to do that at Edgbaston and have failed to do so again at Lord's - here even more so.

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England always had to change for Australia

If you are going to win a Test match you cannot wrap a commanding position up in box, pop a bow on and give it to your opposition.

This aggressive cricket from England worked for a year. Captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum turned this Test team around. To win 11 of their first 12 Tests and create the energy around the game they did was brilliant. It is something they were rightly applauded for.

But playing this Australia team was always going to be different. They are world champions - a massive step up.

Last year, England played New Zealand and India teams who had not played any red-ball cricket, and a South Africa side without top-class batsmen.

England beat them all in stunning fashion but they always had to refine their approach. You cannot go gung ho against a side like this Australia XI.

What makes it more frustrating is at 188-1 on day two, England were, again, in control.

The Australians went to short-pitch bowling because they had nowhere else to go and Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Root all fell into the trap, before Brook did exactly the same thing in the morning of day three - swatting a baseball shot to extra cover off Mitchell Starc.

As a former pace bowler I know it is very hard work to bowl like that for a long period. You can do it for four or five overs maximum because it hurts.

If, in that time, you get a batsman out playing a hook or a pull you think it is a bonus.

You laugh and say "what a berk, how have you fallen for that?" because deep down you are always thinking you are a more skilful bowler than banging the ball in halfway down the pitch.

For four England batters to then be dismissed doing just that does not make any sense.

Coach or captain must assert themselves

All England had to do was play intelligently, sway out of the way of the ball for five or six overs. That is not being defensive. It is not going back on what they have set out to do.

It is just common sense because when there are five people waiting to catch you the shot is simply not worth it.

It would be insulting to club cricketers to say what England did was like club cricket.

I spoke to one former player who said he felt like walking out, saying it wasn't how you play the game.

It can be hard for the two batsmen out there in the heat of an Ashes battle. Their mind is buzzing and they went to take the ball on, especially after the rhetoric from the England team.

That is why I wish, when Australia's tactic started and Pope and Duckett were clearly struggling, a message had been sent out from the dressing room.

Do not forget Duckett could have been out three times before he was and Root and Brook were both reprieved after playing cross-batted shots.

If the message does not come from Stokes then McCullum needs to assert himself on the situation.

Someone needs to send out a pair of gloves with a message to say "this is what we are going to do. We are going to be flexible and that is OK".

Afterwards the players come out defending it and, let's be honest, what else can they do?

Duckett said last night he and his England team-mates were not going to change.

He was feisty in an interview with me on Test Match Special and bristled when I questioned whether England should have reined it in.

In another interview he said if Australia saw them taking a backwards step by leaving the short balls their opponents would think they had "won that battle".

But Australia were already losing the battle. That is why they went to that bouncer ploy, and why I find it so difficult to comprehend.

England have to win this game - they have never come from 2-0 down to win the Ashes in the history of the contest - and could have been in a strong position to do so.

It is so disappointing it looks like that chance is slipping away for England fans, and those who just want a thrilling series.

Jonathan Agnew was speaking to BBC Sport's Matthew Henry