Zak Crawley has opened up on what prompted England’s comeback from 2-0 down to level the 2023 men’s Ashes series.

England lost close games at Edgbaston and Lord’s to trail against Australia. Both games were close, with Australia winning the first by two wickets and the second by 43 runs. England then won two other close games – by three wickets at Headingley and 49 runs at The Oval – with rain curtailing the fourth Test, dominated by England, to ensure a shared series.

Speaking to The Times, Crawley explained how, in his view, England managed to turn things around. “We had to put some pressure back on them,” he said. “The lads played really well actually. I think losing those first two Tests was the making of us. At the time you think it is the worst thing that can happen to you, but I think it really brought us out of our shells and we played really well in those last three games. We played with more freedom. That is a result of losing.”

Crawley also expanded on his own success. His place had been under pressure coming into the summer, but he finished the series as England’s leading run scorer, with his contributions including a century in Manchester. He discussed a technique change, getting his head towards the ball, and also how relaxing helped him find consistency. “It didn’t really click for me in 2022,” he said. “I was still in my old mindset of trying to get a score — ‘I need runs to stay in the team’— but, when I decided I was going to relax a bit more and start enjoying the game a bit more this year, what he was saying finally clicked. It’s about the journey and chasing those moments, even individual moments, little impacts — they’re much more enjoyable than trying to grind out a score, certainly for someone like myself.”

He also discussed his cover-driven four to kick off the series, revealing that making a statement had always been on his mind.

“It was something I had thought about, to be honest,” he said. “I’ve always been a big fan of the first ball of the Ashes. I’ve been watching it since growing up and I knew a couple of weeks out that if we won the toss there would be a good chance of facing it. I was saying to a couple of good friends in the team — I chatted to Brooky [Harry Brook] about it when we were golfing in Scotland — that it would be cool if I could get the first one away and make a statement. I was always going to try to hit it, but luckily it came out of the screws,”