England captain Ben Stokes has called for his teammates to “show a bit of dog” as they look to fight back from two losses in the third Ashes test in Adelaide from Tuesday.
After Australia eased to victory in the second test in Brisbane, Stokes had said his dressing room was “no place for weak men” as he called for the England players to show courage against the dominant hosts.
“It’s just trying to fight in every situation that you find yourself in and understanding the situation and what you feel is required for your team. Just look at your opposition every single time and show a bit of dog. That’s fight to me,” Stokes told reporters on Monday.
“As long as you go out there and everyone is in that mindset around the situation and what is needed, you’re giving yourself the best possible chance if you’ve got a bit of dog in you.”
Stokes said his team had taken inspiration from their fighting spirit in the third test against India in July, when they bounced back from a loss to clinch a 22-run victory at Lord’s.
“That was a moment where we all did that, we all noticed and we all identified that moment,” he said.
“You saw the way the team came out on that day. We were probably in a situation where we would have to be absolutely perfect to win that game, and we were.
“The main thing is, we’re 2-0 down. We need to win the next three.”
Only one team has ever come back from 2-0 down to win a series in nearly 150 years of test cricket – Don Bradman’s Australia in the home Ashes of 1936/37.
