Ben Stokes has no Ashes regrets as England followers informed hold the religion vs Australia

Ben Stokes has urged England followers to maintain the religion and vowed to remain on the assault for the rest of the Ashes. The England captain noticed his aspect fall to an agonising two-wicket defeat to Australia in a sensational first Test at Edgbaston.

But he insisted there could be no backward steps at Lord’s or past as he seeks to degree the collection in opposition to Australia. “It is a bit early to say the Ashes are slipping away after one game,” he stated. “There are still four games left so just keep following us and we will keep trying to do what we do.

“We are, of course, absolutely devastated. The lads are in pieces up there. But if that’s not attracting people to the game we love then I don’t know what will. Losing sucks but I will be encouraging those players to keep the smile on their face and enjoy every moment we have out on an England field because it doesn’t last forever.

“Keep following us because we will be trying to do the same thing over and over again.” Stokes insists he didn’t remorse his first innings declaration when placing Australia in to bat for 20 minutes on the primary night regardless of having Joe Root going sturdy unbeaten on 118.

And he insisted he would do the identical once more at Lord’s if the state of affairs was repeated. “I thought that was a time to pounce,” he stated. “I am not going to change the way I have gone about my cricket because it is the Ashes.

“Who knows we could have got an extra 40 runs or lost two wickets in two balls. I am not a captain who gets by on what ifs. The message after this is more of the same for the next four games but in terms of what it has done for the series in the first game it is hard to be too disappointed.

“It has set up the series.” Australia had been led over the road by Pat Cummins as his aspect chased down 281 for victory. And the Aussie skipper stated the win was far and away the perfect Test victory of his profession.

“The No 1 absolutely,” stated when requested the place it ranked. “Start of an Ashes series… No 1. When we got down to about 10 or 16 needed – maybe two an over – I felt pretty confident but it felt like from first session of day one it felt 50 50 all along.”

Cummins admitted that revenge for the agonising Headingley defeat 4 years in the past has been a very long time coming. But he insisted it felt fairly candy when it got here.

“I would be lying if `I said it didn’t enter our minds. We have been on the other side of it last series and a lot of these guys were there at Headingley. But what a wonderful Test match really hard fought.”