The focus on the ‘moral Ashes’ does a disservice to the real thing

Ben Stokes was sitting at the makeshift press conference podium in the real tennis court behind the Pavilion at Lord’s. England had lost the second Test and found themselves in a precarious position, two-nil down in the Ashes, despite his stupendous efforts with the bat and a first Test that could easily have tipped either way.

Asked if the loss at Lord’s felt the same as the defeat at Edgbaston, Stokes replied it felt the same before expanding.

“When you sit back in and understand where we are at in the series it’s actually very exciting to know that the way in which we are playing our cricket, it actually couldn’t be more perfect for the situation we find ourselves in. We have to win these three games to get this urn back. And we’re a team who are obviously willing to put ourselves out there and do things against the narrative. So now, these next three games are an even better opportunity for us than I think we’ve ever found ourselves in before.”

It might have sounded like fanciful bravado, but Stokes was essentially right; being in a position where England have had to win has brought out the best in them.

But the relentless rain in Manchester was the opponent they could not defeat, not with Wood’s fastest ball or the sweetest strike from either Zak Crawley or Jonny Bairstow.

Ultimately it was Australia in the perfect position for they way they play their cricket at two-nil up, a vantage point earned by holding their nerve in the big moments at Edgbaston and Lord’s.

The two wicket advantage in the first Test was tight enough, the 48 runs in the second a more sizeable, if not comfortable, margin. While there is a popular and reasonable view that any of the first three Tests in this series could have been won by either side, close matches are usually decided on a collection of fine-margin moments, although no one can know for certain how events would have transpired if a catch wasn’t taken, a declaration wasn’t made or a run out wasn’t effected.

The question for Australia as they head to the Kia Oval is if the cracks that appeared at Headingley before England smashed them wide open at Old Trafford can be repaired in the short time before the final Test.

They did not look like a side refreshed after a nine-day break; on the contrary, they played their worst cricket of the entire tour, with only Marnus Labuschagne improving on previous performances. They appeared rudderless in the face of England’s full batting aggression, with fielders yanked from position to position, usually a ball or an over too late. And in the first innings their inability to form a durable partnership left them scrambling to stay in the game from day one.

Undoubtedly this partly explains the lack of celebratory triumphalism in the wake of the urn’s retention. That it was confirmed at the end of an interminably long washed-out day flattened the mood further, not to mention the memories of 2019 when Australia failed to complete the quest in the final Test.

While a survey of weary bodies in the tight turnaround may affect selection, Australia will don their pragmatic hats, with no thoughts of entertaining the masses or inspiring a new generation; they want to win. It spills over to their actual headwear – while England players wore bucket hats fit for sunshine as it was bucketing down at Old Trafford, the Australians kept their noggins warm with knitted beanies, of course.

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Their decision to spurn spin and strengthen their batting line up with two all-rounders was seen in some quarters as being defensive but when Mitch Marsh and Cameron Green saw out the final overs played on day four and water pooled on the outfield on day five, it seemed eminently sensible.

Any feelings of hollowness in holding bragging rights will be more than mitigated by the belief they have earned the urn with their performances in the first two Tests, however frustrating that might be for England fans convinced their side have played the better cricket and are 10-nil up in the moral Ashes, that ephemeral contest which has emerged over the summer.

And on this, perhaps we can all do better. The accusations flung throughout the past seven weeks on either side, whether it be of cheating, whinging, bad sportsmanship, spirit of cricket nonsense or hypocrisy do a disservice to two groups of players who have produced a riveting series of unrelentingly entertaining Test cricket.

Yes, the men’s Ashes deserved a grand finale. If it went down to the last hour, even better. But, as in life, sometimes elements out of human control deny the Hollywood ending.

Should the urn be shared until someone wins it outright? Perhaps, although any side that holds the trophy may be reluctant to change the convention.

Suggestions made in retrospection, including those about start and finish times, can have a whiff of selective convenience, even if they have objective merit.

But whatever the fate of a small trinket – which will remain in the Lord’s museum regardless – may be, let’s not diminish the value of the final Test, our last chance to see these two sides go at it again. Some of these players will never play another Ashes series in England, or in Australia, again.

Australia hell bent on winning outright. England hellbent on denying them.

That sounds like a rubber with plenty of life.