Ben Stokes‘ efforts as Test captain would be validated, according to Michael Vaughan, who also notes that the all-rounder might end up being England’s most valuable bowler on “very English” Australian surfaces.
The bulk of England’s Test team is in New Zealand, either participating in the ongoing ODI series or practicing with it, as the first Test in Perth is only three weeks away. On Monday, the England Lions will join the Ashes team in Western Australia, where they will play for three days beginning on November 13, eight days prior to the series opening at Optus Stadium.
England remains hopeful even though they have lost all three of their subsequent tours by an aggregate score of 14-0 and their last Test victory on Australian soil occurred in January 2011, confirming a historic 3-1 victory. The mindset and more combative approach that Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum instilled in the team are largely responsible for it.
Under Stokes, the results have significantly improved. As full-time captain, he has personally overseen 22 victories in 36 Test matches, ending a losing streak of one victory in 17 before being appointed. But since he and McCullum took over at the beginning of the 2022 summer, England has lost five straight series, including a 2-2 tie in the home Ashes in 2023. After drawing with India this summer, they are currently sixth in the current cycle and have also failed to create a mark in the World Test Championship.
Speaking at a Viagogo event, Vaughan, who led England to victory in the 2005 Ashes, ending an 18-year drought, believes Stokes should celebrate his captaincy with some real accomplishment.
“I think they need a trophy,” he told them.
“Would I take two-all right now? Let’s be honest, probably. The only series in which I have witnessed England’s victory is 2010–11. In 2002–03, we won one Test match, and in 2010–11, we won three. Since then, we have not won a Test. Considering the progress that English cricket is making, it is evident that you would choose a two-all series if it were available.
However, I believe that Stokes mindset and cricket style make this his moment.
He must hold the urn in his hands and deliver. Furthermore, he is not under any pressure from it. This is the phrase they will use in the dressing room. Now is the moment to deliver on their expectation that they will win this series.
Additionally, Vaughan cautioned England against becoming overconfident in the idea that speed is the best strategy in Australia.
In Australia, the Kookaburra ball has helped the tourists develop a more rounded seam assault for all conditions over the past two years.
Since they didn’t think James Anderson, 43, would be useful on this tour, he was finally forced into retirement last year. In response, they prioritized players with high release points, such as Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse, and increased the average speed of their attack. Two of the fastest people in the world, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, have made it to this prestigious series thanks to diligent work behind the scenes.
England thinks they have the fastest assault they have ever had on an Ashes tour as a result. It is important to note, too, that Australian fields have recently tended to be greener and so more suitable for the Kookaburra ball.
With the top seven batters averaging 30.22 since the 2021–22 Ashes began, as opposed to 38.14 in the preceding 20 Tests, the stats demonstrate the change. Vaughan believes Stokes is the only bowler with the equipment to succeed if the weather turns out to be more sporty than expected, given Chris Woakes’ withdrawal and Sam Cook’s non-selection.
“I don’t think it’s all about pace,” Vaughan admitted. “I would be quite cautious to assume that having Jofra, Mark Wood, Brydon Carse, and Gus Atkinson, who can bowl with a little gas, is all you need.
Because he frequently strikes the top of off stump and the ball merely wobbles around a little, Scott Boland averages 12 (12.63). This is the series that I watch and consider. “Give me a Chris Woakes or a Sam Cook” just in case, as the top of off will still be the biggest hazard and we may see extremely English circumstances. And who will smash the top of off stump consistently?
“Quick bowlers who hit the top of off stump are rare. In essence, their purpose is to add some spice and alter the game’s tempo.
Ben is perhaps the only bowler you can simply go, “All right, you go back to top of off.” The only thing that worries me about the England offense is that if the ball is bouncing around, who is going to hit the top of off consistently? Yes, pace, but it might be a sequence where the goal is to hit the top of the off-stump.
Stokes arrives in Australia in what may be his greatest bowling form, after recovering from a shoulder injury sustained in New Zealand. He surpassed a previous record of 15 in the 2013–14 Ashes, his first Test series, with his most fruitful 17 wickets at 25.23 in the home season’s Anderson–Tendulkar trophy.
Stokes was exceptionally fit going into the 2025 summer, even though he had just recovered from two rips in his right hamstring in six months. His abilities were unwavering, and his speeds were constantly difficult, hovering around the mid-80s. His ability to maintain his composure for such periods of time was a testament to his extraordinary stamina, but it was also a well-known reason for worry when he lost it on the last day of the fourth Test match against India.
Despite experiencing pain in his right shoulder, he kept bowling and was later disqualified from the Kia Oval final. India was able to tie the series after England lost a thrilling match. In a 12-month period, Stokes had missed five Test matches.
Woakes, who retired from international competition after dislocating his shoulder on the first day of that fifth Test, advised his former teammate to use common sense and make sure he plays the entire series.
“He’s bowling probably the best he’s ever bowled in his career,” Woakes stated. “His level of fitness has never been higher. However, he has a danger of becoming unstable as he ages.
“I believe that he realized he was f**ked at Old Trafford this year. “I’ll just keep going, even though I’m broken.” which isn’t a smart move, but that’s Stokes’s personality. As the team’s leader, he wants to be the one to put in the most effort. He must participate in each of the five Test matches.
India
