After Perth came the Gabba another loss for England in the Ashes. Following the Perth defeat, coach Brendon McCullum said the team couldn’t prepare properly. After losing in Brisbane, he claimed they had over-trained. But captain Ben Stokes was visibly frustrated, saying bluntly that “the weak shouldn’t come to Australia.”
Tensions flared on the final day between Steve Smith and Jofra Archer. England are now 0–2 down in the series after losing the pink-ball Test by eight wickets. McCullum defended the team, saying, “Preparation wasn’t lacking if anything, we prepared too much. Many players tend to overwork.”
Stokes refused to hide behind excuses. “People say Australia isn’t a place for the weak. We are not weak, but we must find a way out of this. We’re 0–2 down, but we won’t run away. We have to win the next three Tests,” he said.
Stokes knows the challenge is massive. England have Joe Root, but Australia have Steve Smith who remains untouchable despite Archer’s 150 kmph thunderbolts. Late in the match, Archer unleashed fiery deliveries, but Smith was unfazed, responding, “What’s the point of bowling fast anymore?” before smashing him for boundaries. Smith finished unbeaten on 23 off 9 balls.
