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Even questioning Stokes is tantamount to heresy. It is decisions like these that have helped England to 11 wins in their previous 13 Tests. He got it right in Mount Maunganui and against Pakistan in Rawalpindi before that. Go deep beneath the waves: Hidden cameras give incredible perspectives on ingenious ocean creatures The old rivalry will be ignited across five tests this summer as Ben Stokes' side will look to reclaim the Urn from the hands of the Australian's who have been in domineering form in recent years. However, Stokes has insisted his side will play without fear and with the Australian's not winning an Ashes series on English soil since 2001, this could be a successful summer for England. It did mean Travis Head and Nathan Lyon were chosen to spend pretty much all day on the fence, closer to the rowdy England fans than their own team-mates.
Australian Florence Morphy gave the small terracotta urn to England captain Ivo Bligh as a trophy and symbol of her love. The pair would eventually be married, while the two rival teams had something tangible to compete for. Rob Key gave the diagnosis when he swapped the role of commentator for England team director at the start of last season. He made a bet with himself that, despite the flatlining results that prompted regime change, the team were blessed with good players who were trying too hard, wanted it too much and in a jaded struggle through the pandemic’s fug of fixture fulfilment, were “suffocating”. England are getting more and more out of the players by asking more of them to take on risk. Changing their method now makes no sense whatsoever.”Even if they lose this series, if it is done while throwing everything at Australia, then it will not lead to the usual pearl clutching of an Ashes defeat. It feels like it will either be a glorious triumph or a glorious failure. Stokes has done his best this week to not be different, to ensure his players are preparing as if for any other series, but there was a sense of relief on Thursday that the hype was over and the day “finally here”. Michael Slater hitting Phil DeFreitas' first ball for four in 1994, Steve Harmison's wide in 2006 and Rory Burns being bowled by Mitchell Starc in 2021 all set Australia on the path to victory.
What can we expect in 2025? It’s helpful to think of the Ashes as two separate contests: one a closely matched battle of equals, the other a kind of organised bloodsport. Unless England can unearth at least three genuine pace bowlers – or somehow get the 30-year-old Jofra Archer fit again – Australia are going to win so hard. Andy Bull Beyond that, England's attitude strikes right to the very heart of sport's actual existence. What is the point if it is not entertaining? Home advantage makes England slight favourites,” says Morgan. “But Australia are incredibly strong. I see two positives to England’s method: if it works early in the series, it will tempt Australia to change how they play or see them start to question themselves. That can lead to changes in selection, etc. It is their disciplined lines to Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne that will be so important because they like to bat for long periods, which will be series-winning if it happens again. One of the forgotten successes of the last Ashes series was how England found a way to get on top of Smith and Labuschagne, both fading as the series wore on. Robinson holds that key with his accuracy, nip off the seam and air of narkiness that will be used to rile Australia. He is the unofficial leader of the sledging.The wise commentators, the former captains and legends, raise their brows as they pass in the corridors - a look that says "here we go" without needing to speak. England piling up 393-8 at more than five runs an over was made all the more compelling by Australia's attempts to contain them, but that was nothing compared to Ben Stokes' jaw-dropping declaration half an hour before the close. Predicting what will happen is more difficult than ever, even if the Test Match Special team have given it a good go. Player of the series Khawaja has been the most consistent batter but this has not been a Khawaja series. It has not been unshowy. It has not been a bit slow. Its skillset was not to be a consistent series. It was to be exhilarating at times, disappointing at others, but always entirely of itself. It has, in other words, been a Crawley series.
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