The Ashes 2025-26: ‘England’s Ben Stokes is a lion leading lambs – he needs team-mates to step up’

But Stokes will lead an XI that is virtually unrecognizable compared to the final Test of the previous Ashes series in 2023. There will be five survivors in England. Australia could have as many as nine squads if Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were healthy.

Before this series, there was a thought that it would be decided which captain would put the most strain on his body on the field.

Cummins played only one match and won it. Stokes would complete a Test series for the first time in two years and still be beaten.

Australia have a ready-made vice-captain in Steve Smith and could possibly pass the armband to Travis Head and Alex Carey if necessary. Proclaiming their age and coming over the hill, Australians have proven to be full of battle-hardened adults.

Since the last Ashes, England have lost, dropped or left behind Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes, Ollie Robinson and Jack Leach. Individual electoral decisions, taken alone, were valid and necessary, but they left England without leaders.

There has often been a feeling on this tour that Stokes is a lion leading lambs.

Duckett, Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson have faded under the brightest lights, Mark Wood’s injury has left the pace attack without a senior seamer and Harry Brook is a vice-captain who needs to mature.

On Friday, Zak Crawley, whose 63 Tests would make him England’s third-most capped player in Sydney, was asked if he was a veteran player.

“I never see myself that way, to be honest,” the opener said. “I don’t think anyone on the team is really doing that.”