England captain Ben Stokes admitted the pain of losing the Ashes runs deep after Australia’s 82-run triumph in Adelaide secured an unassailable 3-0 series advantage.
The defeat on the final day of the third Test brought a swift end to England’s hopes of reclaiming the urn, with the series decided in a mere 11 days of cricket.
Stokes said at the post-match presentation: “That dream that we came here with is now over, which is obviously incredibly disappointing.
“Everyone is obviously hurting and quite emotional about it.”
The skipper appeared visibly dejected as he reflected on the crushing outcome, adding: “It hurts and it sucks, but we’re not going to stop.”
Despite the series being lost, Stokes delivered a defiant message to his squad ahead of the remaining fixtures in Melbourne and Sydney.
He said: “But we’ve got two more games to go and that’s where the focus needs to switch to now.
“We came here with a goal in mind and we’ve not been able to achieve that.”
England captain Ben Stokes admitted the pain of losing the Ashes runs deep
| REUTERS
The 34-year-old made clear his team would not simply go through the motions in the final two matches.
Stokes insisted: “We aren’t just going to fall over and let this series play out. We’re going to give absolutely everything.”
England’s immediate objective shifts to preventing a third 5-0 whitewash in Australia over the past two decades, following identical scorelines in 2006-07 and 2013-14.
Stokes found encouragement in his side’s performance at Adelaide despite the result going against them.
Five things to know about the Ashes | PA
He said: “All of the stuff from last week about me wanting to see a bit more from the team, I can definitely say I saw that this week.
“Some of the guys lower down the order dug in and showed that courage and fight that I was asking for.”
The captain highlighted the partnership between Jamie Smith and Will Jacks during the fourth-innings chase of 435, which at one stage brought England within 150 runs of their target with four wickets in hand.
Stokes reflected: “I thought we were on for another heist this morning when Jamie and Will were playing so well.”
Australia’s dominance has thoroughly dismantled the Bazball philosophy | REUTERS
Stokes confirmed his commitment to leading England remains unwavering despite the series defeat.
Asked whether the loss would cause him to reconsider his position, the Durham all-rounder responded with a simple “Nope.”
When pressed on whether he still possessed the energy required for the role, Stokes replied: “Absolutely.”
The captain signed a new central contract before this series that extends until the conclusion of the 2027 home Ashes.
England’s failure to win a Test match in Australia now extends to 18 consecutive fixtures, with 16 of those ending in defeat since their last victory during the successful 2010-11 campaign.
