Ben Stokes delivered a pointed rebuke to media scrutiny while celebrating England’s remarkable triumph at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, their first Test victory on Australian soil in nearly 14 years.
The Three Lions won by four wickets, meaning they’ve now successfully avoided a whitewash.
Stokes made clear his frustration with coverage surrounding his squad, telling BBC’s Test Match Special: “The way we went about it, not only in public, in terms of all the media and all that sort of stuff but behind the scenes as well… it was important that everyone’s focus was on the cricket.”
Stokes also declared himself immensely proud following the four-wicket success that ended any prospect of a 5-0 whitewash.
“On the back of everything we had to deal with in this game, I couldn’t be prouder as a captain of the way we held firm as a group and as individuals as well,” he said.
The victory arrived against a backdrop of controversy, with England entering the Melbourne fixture trailing 3-0 and facing allegations about their team culture.
During a break in Noosa between the Brisbane and Adelaide matches, footage surfaced on social media appearing to show batsman Ben Duckett intoxicated.
Ben Duckett impressed as England beat Australia at the MCG
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Stokes acknowledged the challenge these distractions posed to his leadership, describing the situation as “a test of character, a test of qualities of leadership.”
The captain then emphasised how easily the squad could have allowed external matters to derail their preparations.
“It would have been so easy to put our focus and attention on all that stuff outside the dressing room,” he explained. “At the end of the day, the most important thing is what we need to do out there.”
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England chased down their target of 175 runs in just 32.2 overs, maintaining an impressive scoring rate of 5.50 per over on a pitch that saw 36 wickets tumble across 142 overs.
Duckett silenced any critics with a blistering 34 from 26 deliveries, combining with Zak Crawley for an opening partnership of 51 runs from just 42 balls.
Crawley himself contributed 37 from 48 deliveries before departing.
Jacob Bethell, appearing in only his second Ashes innings after replacing Ollie Pope, anchored the chase with a composed 40 from 46 balls.
“The cricket was short and sharp,” Stokes reflected. “We showed bravery, it was courageous. The partnerships they were able to build were exceptional.”
The skipper praised Bethell specifically, noting the youngster “showed the class we see in him” during his crucial contribution.
Ben Stokes was pleased to see England bounce back against Australia
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REUTERSThe Melbourne triumph marked Stokes’s first victory in 14 attempts on Australian soil, while for Joe Root it was his 18th Test match in the country.
“When all the boys came out of the dressing room, we had a little hug and just said, ‘finally we’ve won one’,” Stokes revealed.
The captain noted the significance of breaking an 18-match winless run Down Under, adding: “It will be another four years until we come back here, but there won’t be a narrative that we haven’t won a game – that goes back to zero now.”
Stokes expressed hope the result would resonate with travelling supporters, predicting “the fans will have some sore heads in the morning.”
England now turn their attention to the Sydney Test beginning 4 January, seeking to restrict the series deficit to 3-2.
How they fare remains to be seen.
