Are England lacking mental toughness Down Under? Ben Stokes opines
07 Dec 2025

England captain Ben Stokes has admitted that his team failed to cope with the pressure applied by Australia in the ongoing Ashes series.

After losing the second Test, a day-night affair in Brisbane, Stokes said the visitors need to show more fight but still believed he could lead them back from this difficult situation.

England's only way to reclaim the Ashes is now a 3-2 victory.

We let it slip away: Stokes
Result

Reflecting on the match's result, Stokes said it was "very disappointing."

"It comes down to not being able to stand up to the pressure of this game when the game is on the line. In small passages, we've been able to bring the game back into control, and then we've let us slip away."

"We need to think a bit harder and deeper about those moments and what we're taking mentally into those, and overall show a bit more fight.

Dropped catches cost England dearly
Key errors

After the defeat, Stokes also pointed out dropped catches as a major factor in their defeat.

On the second night, Australia went from 290/3 to 329/6 but capitalized on several chances to get past 500 runs.

"A huge part of it was that we had to take 15 wickets," Stokes said. "You can't drop catches. They always come back to bite you."

Stokes emphasizes mental strength in Test cricket
Mentality matters

On the importance of mental strength in Test cricket, Stokes said it's all about how you handle pressure situations.

He said, "Test cricket has its own pressures anyway, and how you handle those moments, how you handle yourself in those moments, how you get yourself into a clear head."

The England captain also took some blame for his team's poor performance with the ball.

Stokes remains confident despite past Ashes losses
Confidence

England are yet to win a Test in Australia in over a decade, but Stokes wants to keep the faith within his team.

"Don't panic, don't flap, don't waver," he said. "I know we can do this."

The England captain also said that he believes in England's ability to win these next three games and is determined to turn things around for them.

How the match panned out
Match summary

Electing to bat, England made 334 on the back of Joe Root's unbeaten 138. While his final-wicket stand with Jofra Archer bolstered England, Mitchell Starc claimed six wickets.

Australia finished at 511/10 in response as five of their batters scored fifties - Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Alex Carey, and Starc.

Despite a 50-run knock from skipper Ben Stokes, England managed 241/10 in their second outing.

Australia (69/2) then accomplished a nominal target without breaking a sweat.