Keep the religion, says Stokes as public advised to strap in for extra Ashes thrills
B
en Stokes has advised the English sporting public to strap in for 4 extra Tests of thrills, after yesterday’s dramatic conclusion to an epic Ashes opener at Edgbaston.
As in 2019, England have been overwhelmed at their supposed stronghold, as Australia took a 1-0 sequence lead after chasing 281 for victory on the ultimate night.
However, the distinction from 4 years in the past, when England have been thrashed by 251 runs, may hardly have been extra stark, Stokes’s facet going toe-to-toe with the World Test champions earlier than Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon’s 55-run partnership noticed the vacationers over the road with two wickets to spare.
The end result means England should come from behind to regain the Urn, one thing neither facet have managed to do since Michael Vaughan’s well-known facet of 2005, however Stokes urged followers to maintain the religion.
“It’s very early to say the Ashes are slipping away after one game,” he stated. “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 sequence continues every week right this moment at Lord’s, with England’s fundamental query to ponder between from time to time over whether or not to clean up their bowling assault.
Mark Wood appears sure to play, having sat out Edgbaston and, with Stuart Broad in excellent type, one in all Ollie Robinson and James Anderson look prone to miss out. Stokes opted to not throw the brand new ball to Anderson as Australia closed on victory yesterday, however it’s understood the choice was tactical and that the seamer — who had not performed in additional than a month as a result of a groin pressure — is match.
England will even must assess their spin choices, after Moeen Ali’s Test return was suffering from a finger downside. The all-rounder took three wickets after being known as out of retirement as a alternative for Jack Leach, however struggled with blistering on his spinning finger from Saturday onwards.
Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon’s 55-run partnership noticed the vacationers over the road
/ Getty Images“Seven days is quite a lot of time to give everyone a good rest,” Stokes stated. “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 personal bowling, the 32-year-old utilizing himself sparingly however selecting up key wickets in each innings.
The captain didn’t bowl in any respect on this month’s Test in opposition to Ireland as a result of a long-standing knee downside however had been constructing his workload within the run-up to the Ashes and on the ultimate night got here by way of a seven-over spell as England’s frontline seamers rested forward of the brand new ball.
“Getting through that knowing we’ve still got four games coming up has given me a massive boost,” Stokes stated. “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 discuss momentum and confidence, however it’s the similar in Test cricket.
Cummins says his Australia facet have lastly developed the “belief to win from anywhere”, after snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. His group have been on the improper facet of a number of equally shut finishes lately, most notably in opposition to England at Headingley in 2019.
“It’s huge in that you just need that belief to be able to win from anywhere,” Cummins stated. “In T20s you talk about momentum and confidence, but it is the same in Test cricket.”
Cummins had come underneath criticism earlier within the Test for his cautious method. Ahead of the Second Test at Lord’s, he recommended the vacationers is not going to stray from a profitable method.
“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.”