Skipper Ben Stokes said Sunday it "sucks" to lose the Ashes inside 11 days but vowed England would bounce back as a more consistent side in the final two Tests in Melbourne and Sydney.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Their capitulation over three Tests is a far cry from the pre-Ashes hype that promised a hard-fought series, with Australia proving better in all departments.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Stokes admitted as much, but said defeat hurt nevertheless.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"We came here with a goal in mind and we've not being able to achieve that. It hurts and it sucks but we ain't going to stop," he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
At least England finally showed some of the fight Stokes had been demanding in the third Test, coming within 82 runs of a major upset in Adelaide as they chased a world record 435 to win.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"I think the boys were excellent today. They showed some great application," said coach Brendon McCullum.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"They bounced off each other and tried to take the game as deep as they could. We didn't get there, but I thought it was a fine achievement."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
While they showed more grit in Adelaide after eight-wicket losses in Perth in two days and Brisbane in four, England have failed to meet the big moments throughout the series.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Stokes said the key difference between the sides was "constant execution" with England lacking Australia's relentless quality.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Australia have just been able to execute things on a way more consistent basis than us," he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Both with the ball and the bat, and in the field. They've been able to outdo us on a much higher level."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
McCullum put it down to Australia making better decisions in pressure moments.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"For us, from the get-go, it has never been about scoring rates," he said, alluding to the ultra-aggressive "Bazball" style of play he and Stokes pioneered.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"It is about respecting what is coming at you, being present in the moment.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"You identify what the levels of risk are, but what the opportunities are and make sure how to counter that.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Be able to apply pressure when you need to and absorb pressure when you need to.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"I don't think we have got that balance right in the previous encounters in the series.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"If we had cottoned onto that earlier then we would have been more competitive."<\/p>\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Ben-Stokes.jpeg", "alt_img": "Ben Stokes", "alt_title": "Ben Stokes Says Losing Ashes in 11 Days \u201cSucks\u201d but Vows England Will Bounce Back", "image1": null, "video": null, "seo_title": "Ben Stokes Says Losing Ashes in 11 Days Sucks but Vows England Will Bounce Back On Cricketnmore", "seo_desc": "England captain Ben Stokes admitted it \u201csucks\u201d to lose the Ashes inside 11 days but promised a stronger and more consistent comeback in the final two Tests, praising England\u2019s improved fight in Adelaide despite Australia\u2019s dominance.", "seo_keywords": "England Vs Australia, Ben Stokes, Ashes 2025-26", "tag": null, "tagging": "England Vs Australia,Ben Stokes,Ashes 2025-26,", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "1", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": null, "slug": "ben-stokes-says-losing-ashes-in-11-days-sucks-but-vows-england-will-bounce-back", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "1", "ians_date": null, "ians_time": null, "server_time": null, "trash": "0", "view_count": "643", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "1", "auto_link": "1", "created": "2025-12-21 11:54:08", "updated": "2025-12-21 11:54:08", "img_from": "Image Source: Google", "img_source": null, "schedule_publish": null, "news_keywords": "England Vs Australia, Ben Stokes, Ashes 2025-26", "livescore_text": null, "livescore_link": null, "btn_text": null, "resend_feed": "0", "google_feed": "0", "read_more": "1", "posted_by": "19", "jio_date": "2025-12-21 11:54:08", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "1", "breaking_news": "1", "google_date": null, "featured": "0", "pred_match_id": "Select", "article_content_type": null, "england_cricket": "0", "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/cricket-news\/ben-stokes-says-losing-ashes-in-11-days-sucks-but-vows-england-will-bounce-back-184468" }