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'Show a bit of dog' Stokes makes rallying call as England strive to save Ashes
The Guardian
|December 16, 2025
Ben Stokes has called on his England players to summon up the rage witnessed against India in the summer and show some "dog" as they look to keep their slim Ashes hopes alive.
After going 2-0 down in Brisbane, Stokes spoke of Australia being "no country for weak men" and stressed the same went for the England dressing room under his captaincy.
Looking ahead to the third Test that gets under way late tonight, that comment was seemingly no slip of the tongue. Instead, having allowed it initially to sit with his players during their mid-series break in Noosa, Stokes has since doubled down internally. This included a reminder of the timewasting row with India at Lord's in July that triggered a spate of verbals and, in the end, a 22-run win.
"What needed to be said has been said," Stokes said, when asked if that message about weakness had been reiterated in the past week. "Everyone is switched on for what needs to be done this week. Everyone has responded incredibly well to it... what other option do we have?
This story is from the December 16, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
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