Carse Lauds ‘phenomenal’ Stokes After 19-wicket Ashes Opener

Carse lauds ‘phenomenal’ Stokes after 19-wicket Ashes opener (Image Source: IANS)

Brydon Carse: Brydon Carse hailed Ben Stokes’ inspirational leadership after England mounted a stunning fightback with the ball on a dramatic opening day of the first Test of the 2025-26 Ashes in Perth, where 19 wickets fell — the most ever on Day 1 of an Ashes series.

After being skittled for just 172 in 32.5 overs — England’s second-shortest Ashes innings in history — the visitors roared back to reduce Australia to 123 for 9, leaving the hosts trailing by 49 heading into day two. Carse spearheaded the revival by dismissing Steven Smith and Usman Khawaja, before Stokes produced a spell for the ages, claiming 5 for 45 in ten overs to shred Australia’s lower middle order.

Carse revealed that Stokes had set the tone for the day even before a ball was bowled, insisting the squad walk together to the ground, a decision that added to the high-voltage atmosphere created by over 51,000 spectators. “Stokesy came up with that idea last night,” Carse said. “We came in at about 8.30 am because if we were half an hour later, we might have got a bit more stick from the Aussie fans. It was electric… the energy throughout the day was awesome.”

Despite England’s batting collapse, Stokes’ calmness and clarity at the innings break sparked the turnaround. “Stokesy kept it really simple,” Carse explained. “We had 45-50 minutes before tea, and he said to the lads with the ball, just give everything. The way Gus Atkinson and Jofra started was phenomenal. After tea, the message was similar — just do it for longer.”

England’s bold decision to field five fast bowlers — a rarity in Test cricket — paid immediate dividends on a lively Optus Stadium pitch. Short, sharp bursts from Jofra Archer and Mark Wood prevented Australia’s batters from settling, and Carse believes England’s depth will be a major asset across the series.

“I haven’t played in a lot of attacks with five seamers, but everyone complements each other,” he said. “We’re six or seven seamers with different attributes. Hopefully that stands us in good stead.”

But Stokes’ performance, aura, and example, Carse insisted, remained the heartbeat of England’s hopes of reclaiming the urn in Australia for the first time since 2010-11. “His character and enthusiasm around the group, and the way he goes about his business, is phenomenal,” Carse added. “Everyone looks up to him. He’s in beast mode at the moment.”

“I haven’t played in a lot of attacks with five seamers, but everyone complements each other,” he said. “We’re six or seven seamers with different attributes. Hopefully that stands us in good stead.”

Looking ahead to day two, Carse expects conditions to ease and England’s batters to respond with greater conviction. “The first thing tomorrow is to knock over the last wicket,” he said. “We’ve seen batting can get easier. Some guys were proactive, even Carey at the end. Our batters will know the game plan for the second innings.”

Article Source: IANS