Captain Ben Stokes has urged England to show “competitive spirit” in the must-win third Ashes Test in Adelaide.
Stokes said shortly after Australia’s eight-wicket defeat in the pink-ball second Test that Australia had “no place for weaklings”. As a result, the Tourists are now 2-0 with three games remaining and will be looking for their first series win Down Under in 15 years.
The only changes to the batting line-up were in the bowling attack, with fellow seamer Gus Atkinson replaced by Josh Tongue, and all of the top seven batsmen remained despite Joe Root being the only player to average more than 30 in the first two Tests in Perth and Brisbane.
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Sky Sports’ Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain discuss Stokes’ comments about England’s mentality after the heavy defeat in Brisbane
Stokes said talks had taken place after the defeat at the Gabba and when asked by reporters whether the conversations had been “graphic”, he said: “Absolutely. We don’t go into the room and we don’t put anything big on the screen. We have proper, meaningful conversations. What was said was said.”
“We’ve done all the talk we need to over the last two days. Now that that’s all said and done, this week is about what we’ll see on the field in Adelaide.
“It’s about trying to compete in every situation you’re in, understanding the situation and understanding what you feel the team needs.
“Look at your opponent every time and show a little bit of a dog attitude. That’s the fight for me. If you have a little bit of a dog in you, you’re giving yourself the best chance possible.”
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At last summer’s road tournament, tensions escalated between England and India players after Zak Crawley wasted time on the third night.
Why England are taking inspiration from road test vs India
England showed “a bit of a dog” in the road test against India in the 2025 home summer, with opening batsman Zak Crawley’s time-wasting tactics leading to an altercation between the two teams late on the third night before the hosts won a hard-fought match by 22 runs late on the fifth day.
Stokes said the match was brought up as England look to return to the Ashes.
The captain added: “You can already see how the team was that day. We were probably in a situation where we had to be absolutely perfect to win that game and we were.
“It was our attitude and mentality towards that particular situation that gave us the best chance to win that game.”
Brendon McCullum (left) and Stokes have no concerns about retaining their positions as coach and captain respectively.
A day after head coach Brendon McCullum said he was “not bothered” by speculation about his job should England lose in Adelaide, Stokes echoed similar sentiments about his position.
Stokes said: “As soon as I start thinking about doing my own thing here, that’s never going to be me and that’s never going to be Brendon.
“We are both committed to the team and that will always be the case as long as we both play this role.
“My job is to be the captain of this team, and I will do my best to lead it in the best way I can.”
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