England face an uphill battle to reclaim the Women’s Ashes, admits captain Heather Knight

England captain Heather Knight remains upbeat despite the tough road ahead after Australia completed a clean sweep of ODIs in the Women’s Ashes 2025.

The 86-run win in Hobart gave the Australians a commanding 6-0 lead in the multi-format series. To reclaim the Ashes, England must win all three upcoming T20Is and the one-off Test.

“It will be difficult” Knight admitted in a recent interview. “But we’ve been here before. The last Ashes series was 6-0, and we were able to turn things around. We’re still alive, we’re still in it, and we’ve got to keep believing.”

Missed opportunities in Hobart ODI

England produced their best performance of the series in Hobart, initially reducing Australia to 59 for four. However, they stood up at crucial times with both bat and ball, allowing the hosts to mount a formidable total. Despite parity at the halfway stage of their chase, England failed to capitalize.

“We have to keep our cool” Knight noted. “In those key moments when the game was on the line, Australia coped really well and we just couldn’t seize the moment and knock down any advantage.”

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Shapeshifting offers hope

England’s preparations for the next stages of the Ashes include a strategic focus on player fitness.

Kate Crosswho was close to playing in Hobart, was rested to avoid aggravating a back injury. Cross will now focus on training for the Melbourne Test, which starts on January 30, alongside Tammy Beaumont and Ryana MacDonald-Gay. Meanwhile, the rest of the team will turn their attention to the T20Is.

Knight is optimistic about the change in format as he sees T20 cricket as one of England’s strengths. “The format change will be very good for us,” she said. “T20 cricket is one of our best formats and this little reset will do us good.”

With renewed focus and belief, England will look to turn their fortunes around in the T20I leg of the series, keeping their hopes of winning the Ashes alive.

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This article was first published on WomenCricket.coma Cricket Times company.