Certain similarities with how a team of Australian veterans came back in 2006/07 to avenge the 2005 Ashes defeat in England and this current Ashes series win. After the Sydney New Year test in 2007, the likes of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist immediately or shortly afterwards retired en masse. That crop had done it all and won series against all test playing nations home and away. The next Ashes didn’t roll around for 2 and a half years until 2009, and by then Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey were the only survivors from 2006/07 Ashes series as Australia faced into 7-8 years in the doldrums.
It’ll be interesting to see if the current crop of veterans hang around with unfinished business as most have never won a major series overseas. Australia have only won 1 of 11 test series played in India since 1969 and that was back in 2004. They haven’t won any of the last 6 Ashes series in England, last win in England was in 2001. Only Steven Smith and Nathan Lyon were there when they last won in South Africa in 2014.
Australia have a 3 test series in South Africa in September/October 2026. South Africa beat them in the World Test Final back in June. Then there is a 5 test series in India in February/March 2027 and a 5 test Ashes series in England in the summer of 2027.