In the second Test match of the Ashes series, England suffered a loss by eight wickets against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane.
Speaking after the loss, England skipper Ben Stokes said that Australia is not for the weak men, demanding more firepower from the “Three Lions”.
“There is a saying that we have said a lot here, Australia is not for weak men. A dressing room that I am captain of is not a place for weak men either,” he told BCC.
“Do we need to start thinking about what mentality we are taking into those pressure moments?” Stokes said.
Further, he stated that when there are pressure situations during the match, the English players are not delivering performances enough to cope with it.
“When we are on top we are great and when behind the game we are also very good but when that moment is neck and neck we are not coming out on top on enough occasions,” said the 34-year-old cricketer.
After suffering a loss in the second game, the “Three Lions” will now lock horns against the Aussies for the third Test match, which is scheduled to begin on December 17 at the Adelaide Oval.
What could turn out to be bad news for the visitors is the potential return of Australia`s captain Pat Cummins. The pacer said that he will be “good to go” for the third Ashes Test after missing the first two with a back injury.
The 32-year-old pace spearhead has not played since picking up the issue against the West Indies mid-year. Selectors flirted with including him for the second Test at Brisbane, but erred on the side of caution.
“First of all, yeah, I should be right for Adelaide. I’ll have one more bowl [on Sunday], and then we’ll go to Adelaide and have another bowl there. So, barring any hiccups, I’ll be good to go. Body feels great,” Cummins said on Fox Sports.
The hosts were also without fellow quick Josh Hazlewood for the first two Tests, and the news from him was less encouraging. He was back bowling after tweaking a hamstring, but reported Achilles soreness this week.
(With AFP Inputs)