The greatest spectacle in the history of Test cricket, the greatest bilateral series in red-ball cricket and the fiercest rivalry in the longest form of the game – the Ashes – is set to kickstart in a few hours from now.
Ahead of the first Test match at the Edgbaston in Birmingham on August 1, England’s newly-named vice-captain – Ben Stokes – has explained the feeling of playing in the Ashes. Stokes, who was England’s hero in the recently concluded ICC World Cup 2019, said that a player has to hit the ground running from the very first minute due to the fierce competition between the two sides while adding that there is no time to settle down on the ground and a player has to be at his 100 per cent from ball one.
“The night before is the worst – (needing) sleeping pills is the best way to describe it. You’re anxious, there’s excitement. It’s one of the greatest sporting environments you can be in, the first morning of an Ashes series. It’s hard to explain; you can only really explain it when you’re out there. It is awesome. You can’t feel your way into any Ashes series – you have to hit the ground running. There’s no time for easing into a spell or finding your way with the bat, you have to be switched on from ball one,” the English all-rounder said.
Stokes explained that both England and Australia are desperate to win the Ashes as it is the series where a player comes under focus while adding there is heavy scrutiny when a player puts out a below-par performance.
“Both teams are desperate to win, both sets of players are desperate to perform because Ashes series are where you get looked at. It is where you are scrutinised or criticised more or if you do well you get more praise. Everyone knows that as well, all 22 guys know that, so I can assure you there will be some sort of theatre that goes on out there,” Stokes said.
The Ashes 2019 starts from August 1 with the first match scheduled to be held at the Edgbaston in Birmingham.
