'Hurt and emotional': Stokes reacts as England's Ashes hopes dashed
What's the story
England's captain Ben Stokes has expressed his disappointment after his team's dreams of reclaiming the Ashes were crushed. The hopes were dashed following an 82-run defeat to Australia in Adelaide, leaving them 0-3 down in the series. Despite admitting that Australia has been the better team, Stokes vowed not to let the series slip away without a good finish. Here are further details.
Emotional impact
Stokes acknowledges team's emotional state after Ashes setback
Stokes didn't sugarcoat the loss, admitting that everyone in the team is hurting and quite emotional. He said, "That dream that we came here with is now over, which is incredibly disappointing." The England captain emphasized their focus will now shift to the remaining two matches of the series. He added, "We came with a goal in mind we couldn't achieve, and it hurt and it sucks."
Performance disparity
Stokes highlights Australia's consistency as key difference
Stokes highlighted the difference between the two teams, saying Australia has been more consistent with their performance. He said, "Australia have been able to execute things on a much more consistent basis than us, with the ball, with the bat and the field." Despite England showing glimpses of brilliance in these games, they couldn't match Australia's level of execution throughout.
Match analysis
Stokes reflects on missed opportunities in Adelaide Test
Reflecting on the Adelaide Test, Stokes said England had a slight advantage early on but squandered it with a poor batting performance in the second innings. He said Travis Head's massive 170 swung the game heavily in Australia's favor. Although England fought back, they ultimately lost by 82 runs, and none of their batters could match Head's ability to score a defining century.
Team spirit
Stokes acknowledges positives from the match despite defeat
Despite the loss, Stokes was happy to see some fight and determination from his players. He said, "Some of the guys lower down the order showed that courage and fight and responsibility that I was asking for." The England captain acknowledged they have been on the wrong side of the result but there's a lot to learn from this game about their team.
Accountability
Stokes takes responsibility for England's execution
Stokes took responsibility for the team's performance, admitting their execution hasn't been good enough to compete with Australia. He said, "Our execution has not been good enough to come to Australia and compete with these guys, and I think the scoreline reflects that." The England captain promised they won't just let it play out but will give their all on the field in the remaining matches.
Summary
How did the game pan out?
Alex Carey's 106 meant Australia posted 371/10 batting first. Usman Khawaja (82) and Mitchell Starc (54) made fifties. The Brits managed 286/10 in response as Ben Stokes (83) and Jofra Archer (51) were the key contributors. A 170-run knock from Travis Head helped Australia post 349/10 in their second innings, setting England a target of 435 runs. Despite fifties from Zak Crawley (85) and Jamie Smith (60), the Brits were folded for 352 runs.