Ben Stokes has told the English sporting public to strap in for four more Tests of thrills, after yesterday’s dramatic conclusion to an epic Ashes opener at Edgbaston.
As in 2019, England were beaten at their supposed stronghold, as Australia took a 1-0 series lead after chasing 281 for victory on the final evening.
However, the contrast from four years ago, when England were thrashed by 251 runs, could hardly have been more stark, Stokes’s side going toe-to-toe with the World Test champions before Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon’s 55-run partnership saw the tourists over the line with two wickets to spare.
The result means England will have to come from behind to regain the Urn, something neither side have managed to do since Michael Vaughan’s famous side of 2005, but Stokes urged fans to keep the faith.
“It’s very early to say the Ashes are slipping away after one game,” he said. “There are still four games left, so keep following us and we’ll keep trying to do what we do. I’ll still be encouraging the players to keep that smile on their face and enjoy every moment we have on that field in an England shirt. It doesn’t last forever, it goes by quickly.
“Keep following us, because we’ll be trying to do the same thing over and over again.”
The series continues a week today at Lord’s, with England’s main question to ponder between now and then over whether to freshen up their bowling attack.
Mark Wood seems certain to play, having sat out Edgbaston and, with Stuart Broad in superb form, one of Ollie Robinson and James Anderson look likely to miss out. Stokes opted not to throw the new ball to Anderson as Australia closed on victory yesterday, but it is understood the decision was tactical and that the seamer — who had not played in more than a month due to a groin strain — is fit.
England will also have to assess their spin options, after Moeen Ali’s Test return was plagued by a finger problem. The all-rounder took three wickets after being called out of retirement as a replacement for Jack Leach, but struggled with blistering on his spinning finger from Saturday onwards.
“Seven days is quite a lot of time to give everyone a good rest,” Stokes said. “We’ll meet up again in three or four days’ time and we’ll assess how everyone’s going.
“It gives Mo a good chance for his finger to heal up. We won’t be able to make any decisions until we get down to Lord’s.”
Among the positives for England was Stokes’s own bowling, the 32-year-old using himself sparingly but picking up key wickets in both innings.
The captain did not bowl at all in this month’s Test against Ireland due to a long-standing knee problem but had been building his workload in the run-up to the Ashes and on the final evening came through a seven-over spell as England’s frontline seamers rested ahead of the new ball.
“Getting through that knowing we’ve still got four games coming up has given me a massive boost,” Stokes said. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve been able to continually bowl. I was happy to get a good long spell in. I love being in that situation when the game’s on the line.”
In T20s you talk about momentum and confidence, but it is the same in Test cricket.
Cummins says his Australia side have finally developed the “belief to win from anywhere”, after snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. His team have been on the wrong side of several similarly close finishes in recent years, most notably against England at Headingley in 2019.
“It’s huge in that you just need that belief to be able to win from anywhere,” Cummins said. “In T20s you talk about momentum and confidence, but it is the same in Test cricket.”
Cummins had come under criticism earlier in the Test for his cautious approach. Ahead of the Second Test at Lord’s, he suggested the tourists will not stray from a winning formula.
“We’ve been big on how we want to play,” he added. “We have been pretty consistent over the last 20 Test matches. This time it was good enough to get the win.
“We were pretty comfortable in how we go about it. We are at our best when we play at our own pace.”
