‘I could have been a better captain’: Stokes admits mistakes as England seek Ashes reset

TThe large number of Australian voices triumphantly telling England to show some humility last week was somewhat ironic. The first Test ended as an eight-wicket thumping, done in 48 hours and worthy of criticism, but it was not without a real wobble from the hosts along the way.

Regardless, Ben Stokes appeared to do so as his players resumed training at Allan Border Field on Saturday morning, ahead of next week’s second day-night Test at the Gabba. Gone was the “shocked” captain seen in the immediate aftermath of the 1-0 deficit and in his place, having reflected a much more conciliatory figure in recent days.

Performance can only really change the perception of this England side, but Stokes accepted that some of the backlash was justified. He also rowed back on naming former players such as Ian Botham, Michael Vaughan and Graham Gooch as ‘has-beens’ before the series, with the trio among those who questioned whether their preparation was thorough enough.

“I completely misunderstood the words I said there,” said a sheepish Stokes. “Has-beens is a terrible word. It’s the only thing that could come out of my mouth at that moment. God, one day I’ll be one of those people. But that’s not what I meant by that at all.”

Talking about lessons learned is a common refrain from defeated sides, but Stokes – who preferred one-on-one debriefs rather than all in one room – was keen to elaborate on a few. Among them was his own leadership in the field, with him admitting that his bowling plans had buckled somewhat under pressure during Travis Head’s whirlwind assault on the 205-run target.

“I could have been much better as captain,” he said. “I’m the person who makes decisions about how we go out and operate and I’m the one who gives the plans to the bowlers. I wasn’t as clear as normal. The most important thing for me is to be completely crystal clear with my bowlers.”

A concern here is that Stokes and the head coach, Brendon McCullum, remain convinced the target set was sufficient, while the brief history of Tests at Perth Stadium shows batting conditions improving after tea on day two. England’s collapse after lunch – losing four to eleven when it was actually 105 to one – was the reason the match was lost.

This is a somewhat brittle English batting line-up. Devastating on their day, there’s no doubt about that, but one that has been bowled out no less than seven times within forty overs since the start of last year. Three of these took place in India and Pakistan – an Achilles heel against the spin that is hardly exclusive to the current generation – but Stokes conceded that the statistic overall told a story.

“We keep it very simple, always looking to put pressure on the opposition, but also understanding the moment when we have to absorb it. We know that we are very good in the first part and that there are areas where we can do better in the second part.

“We understand that. We don’t shrug our shoulders and think: ‘Next time, hopefully it will happen.’ When we say, ‘We’re going to continue doing what we’re doing,’ that doesn’t mean we don’t think about these things.”

There was also a nod to the England supporters – the thousands who have flown to Australia and those watching all night at home – with Stokes acknowledging the frustration they were feeling. “We know we have an incredible fan base that comes out here and supports us,” he said. “They want to see us win. We want to win. We’re absolutely desperate. They’re absolutely desperate. We’re all on the same page.”

However, not every charge was met with an admission of guilt. Much has been said about England’s attitude, including Mitchell Johnson calling England arrogant last week. The pair met on the field during the 2013/2014 Ashes, a fiery encounter as Stokes first showed his appetite for the fight. Twelve years later, the all-rounder took another step back.

“I think arrogant might be going a little too far, but that’s OK,” Stokes said. “We take the rough with the smooth. Call us whatever you want. I prefer words like ‘nonsense’, but ‘arrogant’… I’m not so sure about that. We didn’t have the Test match we wanted to have, but we were great in passages of that match.”

These passages refer mainly to a terrifying first-innings performance with the ball that saw Australia bowled out for 132 all out; encouragement to look ahead, even if Mark Wood will miss the second episode. The Australian players are far too smart to write off the tourists now.

That said, the hosts have a clear advantage given their much greater experience of day-night Test cricket and a record of 14 played, 13 won. Which is why Stokes understood why England’s decision to support the tour match in Canberra this weekend, apart from sending three unused players, looks strange from the outside.

But Brisbane’s sticky humidity and a Gabba surface are likely to bounce a lot more than Manuka Oval supports this notion. As was the case in Perth – a fast-paced match that went wilder than some quarters acknowledged – that decision will be framed by the result.