Ben Stokes stopped short of stating the Ashes have been regained but admitted their imminent return to English hands was testament to Alastair Cook’s improved leadership and the relaxed philosophy of their head coach, Trevor Bayliss.
Stokes made his Test debut in late 2013 on the toughest tour of all as Cook’s side suffered a humiliating 5-0 whitewash in Australia from which 18 months of intense pressure followed for the captain.
After claiming five of the seven wickets on day two at Trent Bridge that has made England odds-on to wrap up a cathartic series win over Michael Clarke’s tourists today, Stokes admitted it will be reward for Cook in particular.
“The tour down under was the first experience for me in Tests and it didn’t go too well at all,” he said. “To still be in an England shirt now and to be close to being in an Ashes-winning side is fantastic to be a part of.
“Cooky has gone through a really tough two years. But since the West Indies he has found the form that makes him the greatest ever England batsman that we will see. To be under his captaincy is brilliant. Not only has his form got better in that time; his captaincy has too.”
Asked about the influence of the Australian Bayliss, who started in his role only at the end of June, Stokes added: “We have always had good team spirit when I have been involved but we have got a new coach and it’s different from any coach I have been under.
“He puts it to the players to take responsibility to prepare. That means you only have yourself to blame if things don’t go well and that’s been a big thing.”
Stokes, who was struck down with cramp during his second five-wicket Test haul, was pleased to contribute in the absence of the attack leader Jimmy Anderson and back up the eight for 15 claimed by Stuart Broad on the first day.
“We came into this game without Jimmy and we knew as a four-man pace attack we had to perform,” he said. “After Broady’s spell on that first day we had to back him up because he can’t take every wicket.
“I’m really happy to get the extra responsibility to bowl more. The ball was swinging and it played in my favour. The Ashes are not quite in our grasp but they are very close.
“Hopefully we get out there in the morning, continue as we have been and it will be over and done with. We know their tail can hang about so we need to make sure we bowl as well as we did tonight and hopefully we don’t have to get the pads on again.”
Mitchell Starc, who claimed six for 111 in England’s first innings and will stride out to face the first ball in the morning yet to score, was in no mood to concede the Ashes are lost despite it staring his side in the face.
“We’re not going anywhere,” he said. “We will wake up in morning and go again. There is a lot of work to do to find any way to draw this game or win it but we will fight right to the last. It is in our nature. It’s been a tough couple of days but we are not going anywhere.”
Asked whether the Australian players had let down their under-fire captain, Michael Clarke, he replied: “With bat and ball, apart from at Lord’s, we have not executed as well as we wanted to or can.
“As bowlers and batsmen we have to be better. England have shown the way in the last two weeks especially. Stuart Broad was on the money in the first hour of the match and it is tough to come back from being bowled out for 60.”
