England Aims to Salvage Dignity in Boxing Day Test Showdown

The Ashes tour, initially filled with high hopes for England, is now a struggle to salvage dignity after a poor performance resulted in a third consecutive defeat. With the Boxing Day test approaching, team director Rob Key emphasizes improvement, aiming to end the series on a positive note.

England's Ashes tour, which started with the ambition of bringing home the urn, is now focused on retaining some dignity ahead of the Boxing Day test, a significant event on the sporting calendar.

The tourists were overwhelmed after falling in a third straight defeat to a makeup Australian team in Adelaide, extending their winless run in Australia to 18 tests since January 2011. Discussions on team preparation, selection, and performance are likely, but England still have two more games before ending the tour.

Team director Rob Key, coach Brendon McCullum, and captain Ben Stokes face scrutiny if England suffers a 5-0 series loss. Key believes the team has performed at 20%, leaving room for significant improvement in Melbourne this Friday. Stokes remains determined to win the last two games, focusing on mental resilience amid media critiques.

(With inputs from agencies.)