Shane Watson: Australia were totally outplayed by England

By PAUL NEWMAN FOR THE DAILY MAIL Updated: 19:23 EDT, 6 January 2011

Shane Watson started the series as Australia's pin-up boy, featuring in any number of television commercials and approaching the Ashes as if they were his date with destiny. That destiny, however, is to be considered one of Australia's biggest losers in a comprehensive thrashing by the old enemy.

Watson looked dazed when he faced the press, not quite able to comprehend the scale of a defeat that all of Australia would not have believed possible when England arrived here in November. But he faced up to the reality of this proud cricketing nation's humiliation with brutal honesty.

Dazed: Shane Watson

'It's not good enough,' said Watson with the air of a man who had suffered a bereavement.

'There's no doubt we've let ourselves down in the way that we've played but there's no doubt that England have played extremely well.

'They've made the most of the conditions and have been outstanding with bat and ball. The results have been exactly as they should be. We've been totally outplayed.'

Watson, who has reinvented himself as an opening batsman who bowls a bit rather than a genuine all-rounder, believed normal service would be resumed and Australia would put the Poms in their place in this series. He was to be sadly mistaken.

'It's not good being part of something that has been so disappointing,' he said. 'It would be nice to be part of one of our golden eras but we haven't played well enough for that. I thought this would be the defining moment of our careers and perhaps it has been but for the wrong reasons, unfortunately.

'We have to do everything we can because we don't want to lose the support we've had from the public for a long while now. We have to play so much better to keep the faith.'

Watson admitted that England have been so dominant that they appear to be the home side. 'India in their conditions are an unbelievably well-balanced team but the way England have played here in all facets has been most impressive,' he said.

'Having an Aussie has helped them - one of my ex-good mates, David Saker. He has probably helped their cause I think.'