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EnglandAshes aspirations suffer another major blow adelaide Because despite the assistant coach, their batting order faltered under extreme pressure marcus trescothickStubbornness did not allow him to become the team captain ben stokes Below
The stage was finally set for England’s struggling batsmen to assert themselves against Australia’s modest first innings score of 371 runs.
However, instead of seizing the initiative, they were largely demolished, leading to a massive score of 213 for eight by the end of the second day’s play.
The collapse occurred in scorching conditions, where temperatures topped 40 degrees, on a pitch where there were no obvious monsters.
The top three batsmen returned to the pavilion within the first 10 overs, with the rest of the order also returning to the pavilion soon after.
pat cumminsScott Boland, and nathan lyon Wickets shared, taking advantage of the conditions should have posed a much greater challenge to the Australian attack.
by the stumps, jack crawley, ben duckett, Ollie Pope, harry brook, jamie smithAnd Will Jacques’ all-series average was below 30, a clear indictment of his collective struggles.
However, Stokes stood firm, scoring an unbeaten 45 off 151 laborious balls and hitting only three fours.
His innings were a far cry from Geoff Boycott’s aggressive ‘baseball’ philosophy, rather than echoing his defensive flexibility.
This defiant stance came at a heavy cost, as he struggled with cramps, limped between the wickets and endured stifling temperatures.
Despite the captain’s heroic effort, Trescothick dismissed suggestions that the team had failed to match Stokes’ resolve.
“I’m not sure ‘letting him down’ is the right terminology to use to be honest. Everyone is trying 100 per cent and working as hard as they can,” he said after a day when England came close to suffering an irreparable 3-0 defeat in the series.
He added: “It’s not like anyone is going into any game and not working as hard as anyone else. At this level they have not had the success they wanted. But success comes and goes, there is no guarantee that you will be successful in every series.”
Addressing Stokes’ unique approach, Trescothick said: “Ben chose to play the way he did today and did it the way he felt it was right.
“Everyone has an opportunity to read the situation and decide what they’re going to try and do; players are going to play certain ways and we trust them to do that.”
When pressed on whether the other batsmen had made the right decision, Trescothick, defying the scoreboard, replied: “Pretty much, yes.”
Regarding Stokes’ physical condition, which is testament to his willingness to push his body to its limits throughout his career, Trescothick confirmed: “He’s tired and a bit dehydrated. He was having cramps for most of last season.”
He explained, “It’s something that he does and it almost focuses him. When he’s in that mental state, when it’s really difficult and difficult, when there are circumstances or situations that other people are not successful in, he performs at his best.”
“He was having difficulty drinking enough carbohydrates because he was sweating so quickly. He couldn’t drink as much as he wanted because he was feeling a little sick. But he worked hard, played hard and batted long.”