England captain Ben Stokes has made a decisive call ahead of the crucial third Ashes Test in Adelaide, vowing he will not repeat the infamous toss blunder of former skipper Nasser Hussain over two decades ago.
Learning from History's Mistakes
With his team trailing the series 2-0 and facing a must-win scenario at Adelaide Oval starting Wednesday, Stokes was asked about Hussain's legendary misstep. Back in the 2002 Brisbane Test, Hussain chose to bowl first after winning the toss, a decision that backfired spectacularly as Australia racked up a formidable 2-362 by stumps on the first day.
"I don't want to be another Nasser Hussain," Stokes stated with a wry smile during his Tuesday press conference. He referenced the forecast of scorching high-30s temperatures for the opening days in Adelaide as a key factor. "It's going to be a pretty hot day one and two," he noted, adding jokingly, "I'm pretty sure I've become a meme or GIF at some point in my career."
A Clear Mission for a Cornered Team
The statistics show a clear trend under coach Brendon McCullum, with England choosing to bowl first in 14 of the 24 Tests where they have won the toss. However, the dire situation of the series has, according to Stokes, brought a sharp focus to the squad.
"If anything, it actually makes everything a little bit more simple and a little bit more clear for us," Stokes explained about the pressure of being 2-0 down. "I have got full backing that we can do this." He framed the predicament as the perfect opportunity for under-performing players to justify the faith shown in them by the team's leadership.
"These are the times when the players you have backed, you trust to go out there and deliver in moments like these," Stokes said. He emphasised a supportive approach over one of blame: "I would never put it like that - 'You owe me, you owe us' - it's just go out and do what needs to be done and back yourself to do it."
Mind Games and the Focus on Victory
England's path to Adelaide has been rocky, suffering consecutive heavy eight-wicket defeats. The second Test in Brisbane was particularly notable for a heated verbal exchange between Australian batsman Steve Smith and England paceman Jofra Archer.
Stokes indicated his team would not shy away from on-field confrontations if the situation demanded it, but stressed that the primary objective must remain winning the match. "If a moment arises where we feel we might need to get a little bit niggly like that, then I'm sure it will happen," he conceded.
However, he added a crucial caveat: "But it's making sure that the mind doesn't go solely on creating something like that, because the main thing out of this week is making sure that everyone is focused on getting the win." For Stokes and England, with the Ashes on the line, clarity of purpose trumps all else.
