England captain Ben Stokes delivered a brutally honest assessment of his side’s Ashes campaign after a crushing 4–1 series defeat in Australia, admitting the team fell well short of the standards required to win Test matches Down Under. Speaking to Fox Cricket following the final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Stokes acknowledged that England repeatedly handed momentum back to the opposition across the series. Australia sealed the Ashes with a five-wicket victory in Sydney, underlining their dominance from start to finish.
“There are moments throughout the series where we have almost gifted the flow of the game back to the opposition,” Stokes said. “When you come up against a team like Australia, who know how to play cricket out here the same way they do back of their hand, and you are also adding to your own downfall, then you are going to end up losing the series 4–1 as we have done.” Australia, led by stand-in captain Steve Smith, controlled most of the contest. Wins in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide set the tone early, before England briefly hit back with a morale-boosting victory in Melbourne. That resistance, however, proved short-lived as the hosts wrapped up the series emphatically in Sydney. Stokes pointed to shortcomings across all departments as the decisive factor behind England’s struggles, particularly against Australia’s relentless pace attack. The top order found it difficult to cope with consistent pressure, while missed chances in the field compounded the problem. “We have not been able to deliver the quality of cricket that is required to win Test matches, particularly out here in Australia,” Stokes said. “That is with bat, that is with ball, and in the field. It has just been so far below the level that this team can operate at. It has just been down to the lack of execution.” Mitchell Starc, the leading wicket-taker of the series, was named Player of the Series, while Travis Head earned Player of the Match honours for his commanding first-innings 165 in Sydney. Steve Smith also made a major contribution with a century. The result further cements Australia’s position at the top of the World Test Championship 2025–2027 standings, with 87.50 per cent of the available points. New Zealand now sit second following a successful series against the West Indies.
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