Two England players, Harry Brook and James Anderson, have opened up on what was discussed in the dressing room following the rain-sodden draw which thwarted England’s attempt to regain the Ashes at Old Trafford.
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Going into the game on the back of a nervy win at Headingley, England put together a complete performance with bat and ball at Old Trafford. After winning the toss and bowling Australia out for 317, they set about scoring a total nearing 600 at nearly a run a ball. Zak Crawley and Jonny Bairstow were the headline acts, making 189 and 99 not out respectively, while four others in England’s top seven chipped in with half-centuries.
They then took four Australia wickets to end day three in an utterly dominant position. However, the rain took hold, with only 30 overs possible on Saturday and none at all on the final day.
The result confirmed that England’s urn-less stretch, which began in 2016/17, will continue until at least the 2025/26 Ashes in Australia. However, Brook and Anderson revealed how Stokes had told the side that they were about more than winning trophies.
“It was a great speech,” Brook said. “He was just saying ‘it’s not about all the trophies, It’s about making sure everybody’s enjoying watching cricket’ and I feel like we’re going to be a team to be remembered.
“I think we’re bringing different crowds coming to watch the game, more people are getting into Test cricket and we’re almost trying to get it back alive again. I think we’ve done a decent job of that over the last 12 months and it’s been exciting to watch and it’s definitely been exciting to play.”
Under Stokes, England have pioneered a new way of playing Test cricket that couples results with a desire to entertain. Anderson echoed Brook’s sentiments in the Daily Telegraph: “After the game, Ben Stokes gave a two or three-minute chat to the group before he spoke to the press. He told us to think of the bigger picture, be proud of the way we have played. We will keep doing what we are trying to do, keep putting bums on seats and inspire the next generation as well.
“He said this team will be remembered for more than the series or trophies it wins. We have become about more than winning. We are trying to leave a legacy and all my friends, family and the people I meet in the street have come up and said it has been amazing to watch this team. People have really bought into the spirit of it. They love the way we are playing.
“We get judged on results, that’s fine. People can do that. But Ben and Brendon McCullum will judge us on sticking true to ourselves and what we want to do as a team, how we want to play. There is a bigger picture. It really feels like they are trying to build something special and we are doing that. It is going to be an exciting few years.”
England will attempt to secure a 2-2 series draw at the Kia Oval, with the final Test beginning on July 27.
