Ben Stokes Says Final Ashes Test Still ‘Huge’ Despite Series Loss

England captain Ben Stokes called the final Ashes Test a big game, saying England still have pride to play for at the SCG.

England captain Ben Stokes has stressed the importance of the fifth and final Ashes Test despite the series result. England face Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 4. Stokes said representing England always adds importance to any Test match.

England enters the game after a four-wicket win in Melbourne, achieved in just two days. The win ended a 15-year winless run in Australia. However, defeats in Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide ensured Australia still retained the Ashes. Stokes added that the final Test still offers an opportunity to finish strongly.

“This is a big game, purely because we are walking out there representing England. The Ashes, unfortunately for us, has not gone the way we wanted it to, but we have got one more game in a big series,” Stokes said.

“And it is a real big one for us. So, although we can’t get the thing that we came here for, we have still got a chance to go there and win a game of cricket,” he added.

No Room For Complacency, Says Ben Stokes

The skipper also noted that every player must contribute to a win. He then urged players to block out distractions, including thoughts of returning home.

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“I don’t think it will happen, just coasting through this game and seeing what happens. This is a huge game for us… It is going to take all 11 of us to go out there and get on the right side of the result like we managed to do last week,” he said.

“So, although we get to go home in eight or nine days, any thought of that can wait till then. It is about what we do over the next five days that is the most important thing,” Ben Stokes concluded.