The Ashes heartbreak has landed hard on England, and Ben Stokes isn’t holding back about the toll it’s taking.
After Sunday’s 82-run loss at the Adelaide Oval, England now trail Australia 3-0 in the five-match series, with just two games left to salvage some pride.
A Dream Dashed in 11 Days
For England, hope arrived with Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum at the helm.
Fans and players alike imagined a spirited campaign Down Under, but reality hit fast.
Losing the first three Tests yet again means another tough tour, and Stokes admits the emotional sting is difficult to process.
“That dream that we came here with is now over, which is obviously incredibly disappointing,” Stokes said.
“Everyone is obviously hurting and quite emotional about it.
But we’ve got two more games to go and that’s where the focus needs to switch to now.”
Fighting Until the End
Despite the defeat, Stokes found glimmers of resilience in England’s second innings chase of 435 runs.
Though ultimately too little too late, the effort highlighted some courage in the lower order, something Stokes had previously questioned.
“Some of the guys lower down the order dug in and showed that courage and fight that I was asking for,” Stokes said.
“Yes, we’ve been on the wrong side of the result, but I think we can take a lot from this game into the remaining two games.”
Respecting Australia’s Consistency
Stokes didn’t shy away from praising Australia’s performance.
The hosts have been relentless, executing with precision in every department.
England, by contrast, have struggled to match that consistency, though they have shown glimpses of competitiveness.
“Australia have just been able to execute things on a much more consistent basis than us – with the ball, the bat and in the field,” he said.
“We’ve showed it in passages in these first three games, and this week I thought we did incredibly well to take it to where we did in the fourth innings.”
Positive Takeaways Amid the Pain
Even in defeat, Stokes found reasons to be encouraged.
The stand by Jamie Smith and Will Jacks suggested England could have pulled off something special if circumstances had aligned differently.
For Stokes, these small victories matter.
“I thought we were on for another heist this morning when Jamie and Will were playing so well,” he said.
“Though we now can’t do what we came here to do, there’s some good things to take out of this game.
We aren’t just going to fall over and let this series play out. We’re going to give absolutely everything.”
Eyes on Melbourne and Sydney
With the series heading to Melbourne for the fourth Test starting on Boxing Day and then Sydney for the final Test in early January, Stokes is determined that England fight for every run, wicket, and catch.
The dream of winning the Ashes Down Under may be gone, but the pride of competing fiercely remains.
“What we’re left with is the opportunity to show character in the final two games,” Stokes said.
“It hurts and it sucks, but we’re not going to stop.”
England’s players now have a choice: let the disappointment define them, or use it as fuel for the remainder of the series.
Stokes clearly intends to pick the latter.
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