English celebrations must wait until Sydney Ashes Test win: Fletcher

LONDON - Former England coach Duncan Fletcher insists the team should not be content by just retaining the Ashes, and said they must complete a 3-1 series triumph by defeating Australia in the fifth Test.

England took an unassailable 2-1 lead after crushing Australia by an innings and 157 runs in Melbourne to retain the Ashes for the first time in 24 years.

However, Fletcher said England must be determined to ram home its dominance in the final match, starting in Sydney on Sunday.

“The team did not go to Australia to draw the series, but to win it. So, understandable as the urge to celebrate is, at the moment it is premature,” Fletcher wrote in an article for The Sydney Morning Herald.

“Retaining the Ashes in Australia is an impressive achievement, but not so good that it would be not be tarnished if England ended up losing the fifth Test in Sydney,” he added.

England has not won a Test series in Australia since 1986-87. (ANI)