England's cricket captain, Ben Stokes, has delivered a sobering assessment of his team's recent performances, admitting their form has "gone downhill" after a string of disappointing results. This admission comes as England, under Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, have lost the Ashes series in Australia within just 11 days of play and have now gone 14 years without a series win on Australian soil.
A Downward Trend in Results
England have suffered 13 Test defeats in the last two years, a statistic that starkly contrasts with the initial promise shown under the current leadership. The ongoing Ashes series, which Australia leads 3-1, was lost rapidly, extending England's wait for an Ashes triumph in Australia since their last victory in 2011. Despite a morale-boosting four-wicket win in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne—their first Test win in Australia since that 2011 series—the urn had already been retained by the hosts.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Stokes acknowledged the decline. "Results and the way in which we were playing so consistently in terms of getting on the right side of results, that’s sort of gone downhill," Stokes stated. He emphasised that while reflection is necessary, the immediate focus remains on the upcoming match, with a deeper analysis planned for after the tour concludes.
Focus on the Final Test in Sydney
Even with the series outcome decided, Stokes framed the Sydney Test as a significant opportunity. "This is a big game because we’re walking out there representing England," he said. "The Ashes, unfortunately for us, hasn’t gone the way we wanted it to, but we’ve got one more game in a big series and it’s a real big one for us."
He added that the team views it as a chance to secure a second consecutive win in Australia and end the tour on a positive note. "So although we can’t get the thing that we came here for, we’ve still got a chance to go there and win a game of cricket for England," Stokes affirmed.
Praise for Australian Bowling and Self-Accountability
Stokes was forthright in his praise for the Australian pace attack, which has dominated the series. Mitchell Starc leads the wicket-taking charts with 26 scalps, while Scott Boland has impressed with 16 wickets. "I think the one thing you take away from the Australia team in particular is the amazing execution with the ball that has put us under heaps of pressure," Stokes observed.
He directly contrasted this with England's own bowling efforts, accepting responsibility for the shortfall. "There’s a big difference between what Australia are able to do with the ball compared to what we’ve been able to do with the ball. We know that, we own that, we haven’t been able to execute as well as we would have liked to," the England skipper admitted.
Looking beyond the immediate disappointment, Stokes hinted at a period of introspection to steer the team back to its previous trajectory. The focus for now, however, remains squarely on salvaging pride and securing a victory in Sydney before the long journey of rebuilding begins.
