Stokes stirred, not shaken, by England's Ashes plight

Captain Ben Stokes says he has complete clarity amid England's Ashes plight.

Trailing Australia 2-0, the tourists must win the third Test in Adelaide starting Wednesday to have any hope of reclaiming the Ashes.

"If anything, it actually makes everything a little bit more simple and a little bit more clear for us," Stokes told reporters on Tuesday.

"I have got full backing that we can do this."

Stokes reckoned England's predicament was perfect for a batch of under-performing players to demonstrate just why they had support from hierarchy.

"We have backed a group over a long period of time to not only enjoy what this game offers you when it's all going good," he said.

"But these are the times when the players you have backed, you trust to go out there and deliver in moments like these.

"And those are the guys that hopefully this week can stand up for the team and also for the country as well.

"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."

England have suffered consecutive eight-wicket drubbings, with the second Test in Brisbane ending with Australia's star batsman Steve Smith pounding paceman Jofra Archer after a verbal spat.

Stokes said his players wouldn't be afraid to again engage verbally with the Australians – with a caveat.

"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 and we'll have to jump on the back of those moments as well as a team," he said.

"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."

Stokes' clarity extended to what would happen should he win the toss in Adelaide, with forecast temperatures of 35 degrees on day one followed by 39 the next day.

England have bowled first in 14 of 24 Tests when winning the toss since Brendon McCullum took over as coach, but the tactic won't be reprised in Adelaide.

"I don't want to be another Nasser Hussain," Stokes said, referring to Hussain's infamous decision to send Australia in to bat in the first Test in Brisbane of the 2002/03 series. Australia ended day one of that Test at 2-362.

2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men's Ashes

First Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Second Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Third Test: December 17-21: Adelaide Oval, 10:30am AEDT

Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10:30am AEDT

Fifth Test: January 4-8: SCG, Sydney, 10:30am AEDT

Australia squad (third Test only): Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue