In 2023, apart from the ODI World Cup, Ashes was a big tournament to enjoy. As two giants of the cricket arena locked horns in the prestigious tournament of the longest format, the cricket fans enjoyed some thrilling cricket actions. In that series, England faced consecutive setbacks as they didn’t showcase their best. While the team was struggling, England captain Ben Stokes delivered an intriguing speech in the dressing room following the cancellation of the 4th Ashes Test, where Australia holds a 2-1 lead.
Stokes Dressing Room Speech:
In the Ashes 2023, England’s performance was not up to the mark. In the first two Test matches, Australia totally outplayed them with their brilliance. In the third Test, England registered a three-wicket win. But the abandonment of the fourth Test ended England’s hope as the Aussies were already leading the tournament by a 2-1 margin. But in the last Test match, England registered a dramatic win and the Ashes ended in a draw.
Ben Stokes, England’s skipper, delivered an intriguing speech in the dressing room after the 4th Ashes Test was washed out, with Australia leading 2-1 in the series. Stokes said, “Everything we’ve done up until now isn’t going to stop because we haven’t managed to win the urn back. The reward for our work isn’t what we get but what we become. And what we have managed to do is we’ve managed to become a sports team that will live forever in the memory of people who were lucky enough to witness us play cricket.”
Later he added, “I know it’s going to be a bit flat, I know it’s going to hurt that we go into the next game (at The Oval) not being able to get the urn back. But what we have done is something a lot bigger than any Ashes trophy could ever signify for this team – be the team that everybody will always remember.”
On the BazBall Mindset:
England clinched the fifth Test, ending the series in a 2-2 draw. Despite Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum’s bold ‘BazBall’ approach England couldn’t break their eight-year Ashes drought. The team aimed for early Australian wickets before stumps but fell short, leading to Australia’s narrow victory by two wickets in the end. After that, a lot of questions were raised over Stokes’ decision-making.
Stokes remained unfazed by criticism, viewing his decisions with confidence rather than regret. He said, “Any decision I make will never be based on ‘well, we’re definitely not going to lose if we make this one, so I’ll go with it. It will always be about what’s going to give us the best opportunity to win a game.”
Following the Ashes, England’s Bazball approach persisted in a daunting India series, resulting in a harsh 4-1 defeat and widespread criticism of their playing style. Despite winning the first Test, they suffered four consecutive losses. The team is scheduled to return to India in 2025 for a challenging tour comprising five T20Is and three ODIs in January and February.
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