Adelaide [Australia], December 16 (ANI): Ben Stokes recalled England’s turnaround in form during the most recent Ashes at home in 2023 as he attempts to help his side overcome a 2-0 deficit in their ongoing series against Australia.
England enter the third Ashes Test in Adelaide, which commences on Wednesday, needing to win the remaining three matches against a buoyant Australia outfit to have any chance of regaining the famous urn.
While their hopes look forlorn based on current output so far Down Under, England skipper Stokes believes the situation remains clear for his side with three games still to be played.
He recalled their turnaround on home soil in 2023, when they faced a similar 2-0 deficit and won matches in Leeds and The Oval to leave the series tied at 2-2.
“We’re able to draw on experience being in this position before. We know what it’s like to be in this situation. We knew we had to come here and win this number of games anyway, so that hasn’t changed from before we started. Everyone knows what needs to happen in the coming weeks and the games after, so if anything, it actually makes things a little bit simpler and clearer for us. I’ve got full backing that we can do this,” Ben Stokes said as per the ICC website.
If England are to work their way back into the series, they are going to need a lift in output from every member of their squad and especially their top six batters, who have collectively struggled to find much fluidity through the opening two matches of the series.
No. 1-ranked Test batter Joe Root is the only member of the touring party to have scored a century so far this series, while Zak Crawley, Harry Brook and Stokes himself have mustered a half-century each from four innings across the two contests.
But Stokes is adamant his batters will find their groove in Adelaide, pointing to their record over a long period of time that have helped the side prosper under his leadership.
“We backed a group over a long period of time to not only enjoy this game when it’s all going well, but these are the times when the players that you’ve backed, you trust them to go out there and deliver in moments like these,” Stokes added.
“Those are the guys that hopefully this week stand up for the team and the country as well. I would never put it like that ‘you owe me, you owe us’. Just go out and do what needs to be done and back yourself to do it,” Stokes concluded.
Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue. (ANI)
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