The Ashes is still over three months away but Glenn McGrath is out with his much-awaited prediction for the upcoming edition — a 5-0 sweep for Australia.
The much-awaited showdown will begin in Perth on November 21 and McGrath believes England will find it “pretty tough” to battle past the likes of Pat Cummins and a rather poor past record Down Under.
McGrath said his prediction this time is based on how England were held to a 2-2 series draw by India in the just-concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
“It’s very rare for me to make a prediction, isn’t it? And I can’t make a different one — 5-0,” McGrath said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“I’m very confident with our team. When you’ve got Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon firing in home conditions, it’s going to be pretty tough.
“Plus, that track record England have had, it’d be interesting to see if they can win a Test,” he added.
England haven’t won the Ashes since 2015. Additionally, they have lost either 0-5 or 0-4 in all but one series in Australia since 2002-03.
McGrath admitted that Australia’s unsettled top three is an issue. But with England’s attack also
needing “to strengthen”, McGrath feels the main battle will be to dismiss Joe Root and Harry Brook.
