In order to keep the Ashes alive before a pivotal third Test in Adelaide, Ben Stokes has encouraged his England squad to release “the dog” in them.
The England skipper has ignited a fire under his charges, encouraging them to put up more effort ahead of what will be the most important game of his career. They are currently behind Australia 2-0 after two separate but equally terrifying eight-wicket losses.
Ben Stokes has taken a more all-encompassing stance since taking charge in the summer of 2022, encouraging players to express themselves however they see fit. In what will be a pivotal week for both his and head coach Brendon McCullum’s tenures, he has now called for something similar to Old Testament ferocity in the City of Churches: to take on Australia head-on.
When asked how he would characterise the need for more “fight” following two lacklustre Test matches, Stokes asserted that each player would exhibit the word in a unique way. However, he thought the sentiment was to gaze directly back at Australia and not give in.
“What it [fight] means to me could be completely different to someone else,” Ben Stokes stated. “It’s simply attempting to fight in every circumstance you find yourself in, comprehending the circumstances and what you believe is necessary for your team. Simply exhibit a little puppy and keep your eyes on your opponents. To me, that’s a conflict.
“I find it much easier, but other individuals may find it much more difficult due to their personality or other factors. I won’t ask or expect a character that is entirely different from myself to continue acting in the same way. That would be like expecting me to continue in the same way as someone much more relaxed like Jamie Smith. It simply wouldn’t function. But if you figure out how to locate the mode I’m referring about, that’s probably the best explanation.
After beginning his seventh-wicket stand with Will Jacks on the morning of the second Test’s last day, Ben Stokes initially expressed this attitude with his own actions. Even if it just postponed Australia’s victory, the pair’s 96 from 221 deliveries was a heartening display of resilience.
“To me, fighting is going out there with that mentality and that approach, even if I could have gone out there on that morning practice in Brisbane and nicked the first ball.
“As long as you go out there and everyone is in that mindset around the situation and what is needed, you’re giving yourself the best possible chance if you’ve got a bit of dog in you.”
Ben Stokes called for one last scrap before the second Test’s final stretch at The Gabba. He knew the game was over because Australia only needed 65 to win. Instead, he urged Jofra Archer to step it up to give the home batters something to think about as they departed Brisbane, saying, “I didn’t go out there and say the cliché thing of ‘you never know.'”
Then, wearing an England shirt, Archer bowled one of his fastest stints. Additionally, despite receiving what Ben Stokes refers to as “unfair criticism” for using those speeds in a hopeless situation, Archer fulfilled his captain’s instructions exactly.
“That was one of those moments when I asked him to really turn it on because I needed that to be a marker for us to carry into Adelaide,” Ben Stokes recalled. “I thought that that was a really, really important moment for us in the series.”
Ben Stokes reiterated that point later that day when he said his locker room “isn’t a place for weak men” at his press conference following the game.
During the squad’s four-day vacation in Noosa, Ben Stokes helped to foster this sentiment through both individual and group discussions. Midway through England’s first training session ahead of the third Test on Sunday, he reaffirmed the message to the entire team in the away dressing room at Adelaide Oval.
Ben Stokes cited the recent Test match against India at Lord’s as one of the main instances. England chose to strike back when the visitors, led by skipper Shubman Gill, became understandably enraged by Zak Crawley’s waste of time at the end of day three. By doing this, they were able to advance the game to the point where, late on day five, they won an intensely dramatic climax.
Naturally, India replied forcefully with a heroic tie at Emirates Old Trafford and a thrilling victory at the Kia Oval, meaning that England did not win the series. Ben Stokes is still looking for his first five-match series win as captain after the series ended in a 2-2 tie. However, he used Lord’s as an illustration of a dog that belongs to this group and needs to be reached.
“That’s precisely what I’m talking about, Lord. We all recognised and recognised that moment, and we all did it at that precise instant. And you witnessed the team’s performance that day.
“To win the game, we most likely had to be flawless, and we were. We had the best chance of winning that game because of our approach and mindset towards that particular circumstance. For the remainder of this series, that India game was discussed.
“Over the past two days, I’ve completed all of the necessary talking. Now that everything has been completed, the focus is on what will be witnessed on the pitch in Adelaide this week.
“Everyone is extremely focused on the tasks that must be completed this week. Yes, I believe there were a few more expectations in the group, but everyone reacted really nicely to it. Because we have no other choice.”
Players have the chance to correct their faults thus far, especially in the batting group, of which Ben Stokes is a member, while Josh Tongue replaces Gus Atkinson as the only alteration to the previous XI. After reaching a half-century in his second innings in Brisbane, he has fallen short of expectations, being one of five players in the top seven to average less than 30 from four knocks thus far.
After overstepping for what would have been his first Test wicket in a match against wicketkeeper Brad Haddin in 2013, Stokes made his Test debut at Adelaide, showcasing the mongrel that resides within.
Throughout his career, Ben Stokes has frequently—and sometimes excessively—accessed that aspect of himself. However, he acknowledges that his diverse team has been too hesitant to truly confront Australia’s challenges, both on and off the pitch.
There are currently just four players on the tour with prior Ashes tour experience after Mark Wood returned home on Saturday after suffering a recurrence of his left knee problem. The reality has been far more confronting, both with the local media and the public, even though the squad was informed of what to anticipate when they arrived.
“Honestly I think so,” Ben Stokes responded when asked if the players had been surprised by the volume of the noise during their first month in the nation. He now thinks that it will help them make a much-needed turnaround.
“Many members of the team have visited Australia for the first time, and I recall my first journey here. You hear people talking and try to picture what it would be like. And it’s like “wow” when it does happen.
However, I believe that everyone has gone through that, most likely at its most extreme, so we are all aware of what to expect. There won’t be any “I didn’t expect this” or “it’s the first time I’ve had this” for the next three games.
“The entire audience was yelling at Jamie Smith every time he caught the ball after he dropped his catch in Brisbane. He is aware of it now.
Sometimes you don’t worry about things like that when you’re experiencing them for the first time. I believe that when I explain something with a little more emphasis, passion, and attitude, I can sometimes help boys reach a level they never would have imagined.”
India
