Stokes ignores captaincy questions (Source: @AFC_Dev17/x.com)
England’s Test woes in the ‘Bazball’ era continue as the Ashes 2025-26 has been one of their biggest disappointments in recent times. Despite a brief spark with a fourth-Test win, Australia crushed their hopes in the final match, sealing a 4-1 series triumph.
After the consecutive failures, Ben Stokes’ captaincy faced harsh criticism as there were talks about his future as England’s Test captain. But after the Sydney Test, Stokes stayed tight-lipped, giving no clues about any potential leadership change.
Ben Stokes stays silent on captaincy speculation
Since the Bazball era took over England’s Test cricket, the momentum has taken a horrific turn. What was expected to be unreal success has turned out to be a wave of disappointments. Their dismal showing in the ongoing Ashes has only fueled doubts and sparked fierce debates about the future of English Test cricket.
Starting the Test series with three straight defeats, they registered a thrilling win in Melbourne, but Australia secured the series by a 4-1 margin. After consecutive failures, there was a buzz about Ben Stokes future as England’s skipper. Yet after the Sydney Test, Stokes stayed silent on leadership talks, focusing instead on fixing mistakes ahead of the next series.
“We could have played much better than what we did. We have a long time before we play our next series, so we have a lot of time to reflect, so hopefully we can put the wrongs to right,” Stokes said during the press conference.
Stokes reflects on the Sydney Test
Since the Ashes have started, short-lived Test matches sparked attention, but the recently ended Sydney Test stood out differently. The Sydney crowd saw a complete five-day Test match. With Joe Root, Harry Brook, and Jacob Bethell’s brilliance, England eyed another win, but the Australian side dashed the hope. While reflecting on the game, Stokes highlighted where things went wrong.
“It was a great game to get involved in, Test matches which go to the fifth day always add up drama. If we had got around 200 on the bothatard, it would have been a different story. Australia is a great team, they play incredible cricket, they have some outstanding bowlers, so we have to give them a lot of credit,” he added.
A long window opens for England to reset
Since the last few series, England’s questionable red-ball form is sparking concerns. After a dramatic drawn series against India at home, their Ashes loss added another blow to a struggling side. The dramatic victory at the MCG saved them from a whitewash. But the long-standing struggle now wants a perfect way to be resolved.
As the side is now set to move focus to the upcoming T20 World Cup, their next red-ball assignment is far away. In June this year, they will face New Zealand in a three-match Test series. Until then, the team has plenty of time to fix mistakes and rebuild ahead of the next big challenge.
