Ben Stokes is not going to be bringing the Ashes urn again residence after a fifth-day washout in Manchester however the captain believes his England aspect have performed their approach into the nation’s hearts.
Relentless rain at Emirates Old Trafford on Sunday ruined England’s hopes of placing the ending touches to a dominant efficiency within the fourth Test, with 5 of the final six periods within the match misplaced and not using a single ball bowled.
That was sufficient for Australia to get out of jail with 5 wickets in hand, retaining the Ashes with an unassailable 2-1 lead regardless of being overwhelmed at Headingley and roundly outclassed within the first three days right here.
Fans on either side of the rivalry will now be denied the spectacle of a blockbuster collection finale on the Kia Oval, however Stokes is assured his staff’s thrill-a-minute type has already secured a spot within the recreation’s folkore.
England have recast themselves as foot-to-the-floor entertainers within the ‘Bazball’ period, drawing in new followers and taking the Test format into locations it has not been because the beloved summer time of 2005.
“It’s a tough one to take, a tough pill to swallow. We were completely and utterly dominant throughout the hours of play we had, but the weather didn’t help us and we can’t change that,” Stokes mentioned.
“If this game went without rain we probably would have been favourites to be sat here at 2-2 and I think that would have elevated everything that this series has already done for Test cricket.
“But I think what we’ve managed to do has already done wonders for cricket in England. I said in the dressing room that the reward for your work isn’t what you get, it’s what you become. And I think what we’ve managed to become is a team that people will remember.
“We’ve become a team that have been so unbelievably well followed and we will live long in the memories of those who have watched us.
“As much as I would love to be an Ashes-winning captain, I want this team to be a legacy team. Regardless of how the series ends up, people will always talk about us.”
Stokes refused to fumble for distractions, brushing apart questions on reserve days and the custom of the holders having the appropriate to retain in a draw collection.
“Test cricket is five days. I don’t ever see there being a reserve day in a series like this,” he mentioned.
“This is the way it’s always been. We know we can’t get the urn back but we can draw the series and that’s what we’ll be trying to do.”
There is valuable little time for Stokes to rally his troops for that problem, with the fifth and remaining Test beginning on Thursday.
Whether England can carry their momentum via stays to be seen, however the prospect of denying Australia a primary collection win on these shores since 2001 is a motivation in its personal proper.
“We have to get over the disappointment and focus on that game,” Stokes mentioned. “It is a massive one for us and we know 2-2 sounds a lot better than 3-1.
“The mentality and mindset within this dressing room is to go out and win. Every time we walk out on the field that’s all I encourage the players to do, just concentrate on what you need to do as an individual to influence a game in the right way.
“There’s no doubt if we’d managed to get a result in this game next week would have been a very, very special week in the history of English cricket, not just Ashes cricket. But we’ll be treating it as we do every other game.
“We’re always putting our front foot forward and trying to press the game as hard as we possibly can. As a captain that’s something that makes me very proud as a leader of the 10 other guys out there.”
