"I thought Chris Woakes' inclusion in the last 3 Tests was the change that set the scene for England" - Brad Hogg 

Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg feels that Chris Woakes was the catalyst behind England's turnaround in the second half of the 2023 Ashes. The right-handed all-rounder was crowned as England's player of the series despite playing only three Tests out of five, which shows the impact he had.

Woakes claimed 19 wickets across the three Tests and also scored some valuable runs down the order, which includes a match-winning cameo in the third Test at Headingley, Leeds. Even on the final day of the series, he was the bowler who dismissed both the opening batters and ignite the momentum shift.

Hogg noted how the majority of Woakes' wickets in the series were crucial ones.

"I thought Chris Woakes' inclusion in the last three Tests was the change that set the scene for England. He dominated with the ball with 19 wickets and the majority of those were top six batters," he said on his YouTube channel.

Woakes worked his magic with the replacement ball that England availed late on Day 4. The Aussie openers were coasting through initially during the run chase, but the hosts clawed their way back with the new ball offering a lot more movement and bounce.

Admitting that he was upset about the ball change, Hogg added:

"I was a little upset about that ball change in the fifth Test. At the end of the day, Australia had a little fortune when Mitchell Marsh got a change of ball in Headingley and got a wicket straightaway. So, you cannot complain in those instances."

Usman Khawaja revealed after the series that the umpires chose the replacement ball as there was nothing else in the box. The opening batter confronted both on-field umpires on separate occasions regarding the ball change, but the situation remained the same.

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"England played the better cricket throughout the series" - Brad Hogg

England were lambasted for their approach in the first two Tests which included a shock declaration and a chaotic batting display. However, they remained true to their style while introducing a sense of understanding to execute a 2-2 series draw.

Branding England as the team that played the better cricket across the five-match affair, Brad Hogg elaborated:

"I thought Ben Stokes was brilliant with his attacking style, he backs his players and if you back your players, then you are going to get results. In doing that, England played the better cricket throughout the series, they were the better team, there is no doubt about that."

Further stating that England had better plans as well, Hogg added:

"I thought there was one Test where Cummins sort of lost his way a little bit, the pressure got to him and that was the fourth Test. All in all, I think England's plans were a lot better than Australia's."

England were on the cusp of reclaiming the Ashes after having the upper hand in the fourth Test in Manchester. Australia, on the other hand, were on the brink of recording their first Test series win in England since 2001 after having claimed a 2-0 lead.