Manager Joe Root told Sky Sports that England are taking inspiration from the Ashes fightback two years ago as they aim to stay in the series this winter, and explained why the 2021/22 coronavirus series showed how important a break from competition is for the team.
England, who lost 2-0 to Australia after consecutive eight-wicket defeats in Perth and Brisbane, must win in Adelaide from Wednesday to keep alive their hopes of winning their first overseas title since Sir Andrew Strauss’ 3-1 win in 2010/11.
Ben Stokes’ side bounced back from a 2-0 home defeat to Australia in 2023 to draw 2-2 and probably would have won the series had their pursuit of victory not been hampered by rain in the fourth Test in Manchester.
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Let’s take a look back at some of the most heated moments from the 2023 Ashes series that ended 2-2.
After England’s defeat at the Gabba last weekend, Stokes said Australia was “not a place for weaklings”. Root, who has finally achieved his first Ashton overseas and is the only away batsman to bat above 30 so far in the series, insists the tourists are up for the fight.
Speaking to Nasser Hussain at Adelaide Oval, the 34-year-old said: “If we win this week, it will change the complexion of the whole series.
“I know we had our own conditions, but the way we’ve played since Headingley[in 2023]we’ve been like a completely different team. It’s easy to forget that.”
“The conditions may be different, but the game is the same. If anything, the game is simpler here. The swings and pitches are not as bad as they are in England.”
Root (left) says England have the ability to fight back in the Ashes series but ‘we need to get better for longer’
“All we have to do is stay better for longer. We looked very dangerous when we did well in this series, but we have to keep it together for a long period of time.
“This is a place where you have to be disciplined, resilient and able to withstand pressure for long periods of time, and I think this group is definitely capable of that.
“I’m not sure if[Stokes’ comments]were directed at the players individually, but I think it’s a fair statement. If you want to win here, you have to deal with the big moments.”
“If we can give our best and learn from some of our experiences on tour, I think we have a great chance to win here.
“When you’re down 2-0, you have an even bigger chance. Imagine if it went well. Imagine what that would feel like.”
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Australian radio station 92.7 Mix FM tracked the England cricket team as they relaxed for a sledding session on a beach in Noosa. Captain Ben Stokes took it in good spirits.
Root talks about the difficulties of the 2021/22 Ashes series
England enjoyed a pre-planned, and much maligned, mini-break in Noosa between the second and third Tests.
Root said his team was “mentally refreshed” for the tough challenges ahead and said Australia were likely to be strengthened by the return of captain Pat Cummins, who has been sidelined since July with a back injury.
Four years ago, Root was captain when England lost 4-0 to Australia while confined in a coronavirus bubble during the pandemic.
He said the “shambles” should bring some “perspective” to the battle on the field, but stressed England did not want “sympathy” for their current predicament.
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Hussain says England need to show their character after ‘succumbing to pressure’ in Ashes defeats in Perth and Brisbane
Reflecting on the 2021/22 tour, the Yorkshireman added: “The hardest part was that this wasn’t the first corona bubble we were in, it was the last corona bubble. We had done 20-odd tests by that point, probably 15 more than the next team. The players were wiped out.”
“We went into the game with four coaches in isolation for two weeks and the players were preparing for the Test match.
“It was really bad and it wasn’t what I needed for my best performance. It shouldn’t have been.
“That was the situation at the time, but you could see the coaches and players being exhausted by it, so I think it’s important to keep that perspective.
“Sometimes we misunderstand or make mistakes.”
“It doesn’t always work out as players. We’re desperate to win every game we play and we’re very passionate about playing for England and representing our country as best we can. It’s not for lack of effort or hard work.
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Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast Hussain and Michael Atherton speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast spoke about how coach Brendon McCullum’s claim that he had “overprepared” for the second Ashes Test could wind up supporters.
“Sometimes we misunderstand and make mistakes. This is not a sob story. I’m not sitting here with a little violin and asking people to pity us.
“We know how lucky we are and how good we are, but we need to be able to switch off and step away from the game in order to be in the right mental state and to be at the top of the game.
“I understand there may be some misconceptions about what it will be like (going to Noosa) if we lose a few games, but ultimately you have to prepare in a way that benefits you and the team and gives you the best chance of winning here.
“The most important thing in Test cricket is mental preparation. Everyone in the team has the quality to go out and win Test matches and do great things individually to change the game. It’s about making sure you have the mental space to do that.”
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Nassar and Michael Atherton praised Root for completing his century in the pink-ball Brisbane Test
Root: Australia’s first Ashes hundred ‘relief’
Root admitted it was a “relief” to score his first Ashes hundred in Australia’s 30th innings after a clean sheet and eight runs in the series opener in Perth, but what was the key to getting the Monkey back on his feet?
“I think in the first Test I tried to play at right angles to the wicket and got too carried away with the bounce. I think that killed me in both innings,” the batsman added.
“In Brisbane, I tried to take sending-off mode out of the game as much as possible, played as straight as possible and understood that sometimes less is more in those situations.
“We try to eliminate as much risk as possible with maximum production and recreate that over and over again.”
England will be hoping for a rematch with Root in Adelaide this week to spark a comeback.
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