Australia have had good phases with the bat but Stokes has made sure that England have always had a response: whether it’s wobble seam, cutters, bouncers or some funky fields. We haven’t seen Australia get the mammoth scores that they have in the past - the big 400s and 500s. Over the four Tests since Edgbaston the England side have worked out how to bowl to Australia. We all talk about the batting side of Bazball but with the ball England have always created new angles and challenges, even on some flat wickets. In the field they’ve been far too attritional and reactive at times, and they’ve also let England stick to their own plans with the ball. The tourists have tried but I think they’ve been spooked by Bazball. We must say they’re only 18 months into this new way of playing.Īgainst Australia, they’ve just got better and better at playing their style. To come back so strongly from 2-0 down has been remarkable. To keep up their intensity with such an schedule is a real testament to them.Įngland have just got better and better as the series has gone on. The players deserve so much credit for what they’ve given us over seven weeks. Was it better than 2005? I can’t say because I played in that - I didn’t watch it! But you couldn’t ask for more from Test cricket than what we’ve had in the last seven weeks. We’ve seen the whole nation gripped by cricket this Ashes series which is a very special thing.Įven though we haven’t had a winner this is the best series I’ve ever watched. This series has had everything you want from sport: controversy, brilliant cricket, ebb and flow, two good sides and so much drama. But if the whole world bought into being a bit more aggressive and playing in the England way I do think Test cricket would be in a much better place. I’m not just saying this because it’s England who have come up with this style. When we think about the 4-0 Ashes defeat Down Under in 2021/22, that’s just incredible.Īdministrators have got to be doing everything possible to encourage Test cricket to be played like this around the world. England have done to Australia what Australia have done to them many times before. And Australia have been left looking like England in the 1990s: too attritional and fearful. This summer England have played in that Australian way. In the 1990s and early 2000s, during that great era of Australian Test cricket - with Shane Warne, Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting, Glenn McGrath and the rest - we always talked about the Australian way of playing, always looking to be aggressive and take the positive option. So even though they won the World Test Championship final against India and leave England with the urn retained, Cummins goes home with more questions than answers. They’ve been so, so worried about what England can do that at times they’ve forgotten about their own strengths. Meanwhile Cummins and Australia have sent a message to England that they’re almost scared of them. Right now, he wants to get the best out of all the talent that England have, and make them all think about how good they can be. It’s very clear what Stokes is trying to achieve. This Ashes has ended up as a 2-2 draw, but of the two captains there are going to be far more questions about Pat Cummins’ method than Stokes’. The way they have gone about things this summer he’s got every chance. In 10 years’ time, Stokes wants people to say England changed the game and got people playing in a certain way. I think in time Stokes will be remembered as the captain who helped changed the way Test cricket is played - and that surely is the perfect legacy. But you’re also thinking about a deeper impact. When you have that conversation, of course you’re thinking about Test match victories - and as captain Stokes has now won 13 out of 18 Tests, which is incredible. I think in time he will be hailed as England’s greatest ever Test captain. He’s only been doing the job for 14 months but already he is right up there among England’s greatest ever captains. If there’s one man that should get most of the credit for it, it’s Ben Stokes. Two teams playing in different styles, and playing out five brilliant Test matches against each other. In Test cricket’s biggest showcase, this series more than delivered.
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