The Ashes: ‘Time for England to play like adults in third Test in Adelaide’

Bar Stokes, Joe Root and Jofra Archer, every England player in Australia was either saved by, given a debut by or dragged out of the wilderness by the Bazball regime.

Therefore, this culture is all they know. Good vibes, running towards the danger, golf courses. McCullum has regularly said that these players should be having the time of their lives representing England, which is a fair point. Enjoying Test cricket is great, but so is winning.

Stokes has suggested that part of England’s struggles has been a result of players new to touring Australia not coping with the challenge of playing in this country. Is that another issue the management could have predicted?

Remember when the Australia squad was written off as ageing, creaking and over the hill? In hindsight (there’s that word again) they look crafty veterans.

England made a raft of changes to their personnel 18 months ago with this tour in mind.

At the time, selections of Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson and Bashir were justified not only by their performances, but also a collective temperament that seemed like quiet steel. Now neither Atkinson nor Bashir are in the XI for Adelaide, and Smith must somehow find something after a desperate display in Brisbane.

Two years ago, England found themselves 2-0 down in the home Ashes. They prepared for that series with a golf trip in Scotland – one wonders if they would change that decision, given the chance.

As England gathered for the third Test at Headingley, smarting from the Jonny Bairstow stumping at Lord’s, Stokes addressed his team with a word that cannot be printed on the BBC. It worked. England fought back and would have won the Ashes had it not rained in Manchester.

Back then, the England team was filled with battled-hardened soldiers, willing to fight in the Ashes trenches. Bairstow, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood. None of those men are in Australia now.

It is not too long ago that England were happy to get in a battle with India in the home summer. There were flashpoints at Lord’s and Old Trafford, and Stokes’ men looked a better side with fire in their bellies.

Did they think they could bully India, only to then wilt in Australia?

There is a nagging suspicion that the current team leaves too much to Stokes and Root, the captain present and past. Adelaide means plenty to both men. Root played club cricket here, Stokes made his Test debut in this city.

Do the rest of the squad wonder why two such legendary figures in English cricket have found it so hard to find success in Australia?