‘shellshocked’ Stokes Urges England Not To Dwell On Mauling In First Ashes Test

Ben Stokes has warned his players not to wallow successful nan symptom of losing to Australia wrong 2 days arsenic a hotly anticipated Ashes bid sewage disconnected to a catastrophic commencement successful Perth, saying they must “feel it and get free of it” if they are to person a chance of levelling nan scores successful Brisbane adjacent week.

The England captain said nan squad were “very assured successful our expertise to support Australia to nether 200 and triumph nan game”, having group nan location broadside a target of 205. Instead they were marmalised by Travis Head, bumped up to unfastened successful spot of nan injured Usman Khawaja, who scored 123 disconnected 83 balls to powerfulness his broadside to nan brink of triumph – a publication nan Australia captain, Steve Smith, described arsenic “one of nan awesome Ashes knocks”.

“I’m still successful a small spot of a wow shape aft what he has conscionable done to us. I’m shellshocked a small bit,” Stokes said. “It was truthful difficult to beryllium capable to proceed pinch plans we tried to implement, because he had an reply to everything.

“We’ve sewage to fto those 2 hours descend successful and bespeak connected it properly, without nan emotion that’s attached to what’s conscionable gone connected retired there. Obviously there’s disappointment. You’ve sewage to fto emotions for illustration this descend successful and it has sewage to hurt, but you’ve sewage to get free of them arsenic quickly arsenic you perchance tin while besides learning from them. When we get to Brisbane we request to beryllium backmost successful that mindset we [had] earlier this game. We’ve sewage to not return immoderate baggage from this consequence to Brisbane, because we request to triumph that one.

“It’s nan 2 sides of sport, winning and losing. The emotions are wholly different. There’s nan highs of winning, and you’ve sewage to fto that spell and past move connected to nan adjacent one, conscionable arsenic you do erstwhile you person these emotions. You’ve sewage to consciousness it each and past get free of it.”

Brendon McCullum, nan England coach, promised that location would beryllium nary alteration to his team’s attack erstwhile nan action moves to Queensland. “There were opportunities there, opportunities to score, to put their bowlers nether pressure. We conscionable person to do it much often and for longer,” he said. “What we won’t beryllium changing is our blueprint. We judge successful what we’re doing, nan style that has been group complete nan past mates of years, and nan players we’ve got.”

Travis Head acknowledges nan applause from spectators aft he was dismissed for 123. Photograph: Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images

Head admitted that he had travel into nan lucifer pinch concerns astir his expertise to thrive successful Tests, 4 months aft his past attempt. “I trained each 4 days, which is unheard of, conscionable to find a spot of hit and get into things,” he said. “I was worried about, americium I tin of doing it still? We’ve had specified a large layoff disconnected Test cricket, your mind takes you to: ‘OK, I’m facing astir apt 1 of nan amended attacks I’ve ever faced. High quality, precocious pace, precocious speed. Am I still trim retired for this?’ Losing nan flip wasn’t perfect because you return your mind to past year, batting connected that connected time 4 aliases 5 was highly difficult against high-quality accelerated bowling. So I was worried astir that. It’s worked retired each right, because we vanished connected time two.”

It was nan 4th clip Head had opened for Australia successful Tests, pinch his champion erstwhile consequence 32 against India successful Ahmedabad successful 2023, but nan first clip he had done truthful astatine home. He said nan anticipation had been “brewing” for immoderate clip earlier Khawaja’s backmost wounded – “He’s not moving peculiarly good successful there, nan aged fella,” Steve Smith said – created an opening, and that he was keen to stay successful nan role.

“It’s been brewing for a bit. I thought it was nan correct opportunity to do it,” said Head. “I conscionable felt we lined up amended that way, I thought nan infinitesimal was right. I was beautiful bullish astir nan truth that I felt I could do it. Going backmost a mates of years we went astir nan circles a small bit. Steve [Smith] benignant of had a ace astatine it. Nath [McSweeney] had a go. Each clip I benignant of put my sanction successful and said, ‘Why not?’ I do it successful different formats. Could location beryllium an opportunity to do what Dave [Warner] had done, going retired location and being a spot much aggressive? So I brewed nan idea. I’m not going really fierce astatine it, but I put my manus up if nan squad requires it. I’m much than happy to support nan action location and if they don’t do it, it’s fine.”