The England captain said he will be having conversations with his team-mates in the nine days between now and the third Test in Adelaide and, when he goes and knocks on their doors, he must deliver some harsh truths.

England cannot afford another game of just rocking up and playing the same way.

Then England spectacularly fluffed their lines.

The Ashes were not over at the end of the second day of the second Test.

But if they are slipping away yet again for England — and, let’s be honest, history tells you they are — then they can only blame themselves.

But, of course, it did matter. It made all the difference.

And now he has achieved it.

In the humidity and hostility of the Gabba, England’s greatest batter broke his duck Down Under.

🔗 theathletic.com/6858031/?sou...

The Kent opener has come under severe scrutiny after a poor run of form which has seen him score just one century in his last 22 Tests, against Zimbabwe in May, with his Test average having dropped to 30.96.

“Ben Stokes said he was shell-shocked afterwards but now he’s got to dust himself off and move on. But he has to do that by learning. He can’t just say: ‘That’s the way we play’…”

Or at least, the version of it that breeds erratic batting, cheap wickets and vigorous shakes of the head from those who wistfully wish for five days of the majestic Test cricket of yore, writes @michaeljbailey.bsky.social in Perth.