England are in grave danger of being whitewashed 5-0 in the Ashes
after a "pathetic" batting display during the second Test match against
Australia, says former captain Michael Vaughan.
"England look as if they are petrified of the ball and that is a real worry," said Vaughan on Test Match Special.
"I can't see any other result than 5-0 the way this England team are playing."
England, trailing 1-0 in the series after a heavy defeat in Brisbane, lost their last six wickets for 55 runs as Mitchell Johnson (7-40) ran through their middle and lower order. Australia then reached 132-3 by the close.
Vaughan was alarmed by the lack of fight from England's players in the face of a high-class spell of fast bowling.
"It's been pathetic, feeble - there is no way you can protect this batting today," he said. "England would have been blown away on day one if they'd batted like this. They are mentally shot.
"Even when England lost 5-0 in 2006-07, I don't remember them folding like this. This is as bad as I have seen from an England side."
Vaughan, who captained England to their first Ashes triumph in 18 years in 2005, believes there were signs their standards were slipping during the 3-0 victory over Australia in July and August.
"The last three Test matches of the summer were the warning signs for this England team," added Vaughan.
"They weren't playing great. Their brand of cricket was poor - attritional and very negative. If you can't go out and express your game when you are 2-0 up in an Ashes series on home soil, when you've doctored your own decks, there's a real problem.