England captain Ben Stokes has admitted he is going through the toughest period of his captaincy ahead of the fourth Test of the Ashes series against Australia.
England suffered an 82-run defeat in the third Test at Adelaide, a loss that confirmed Australia’s retention of the Ashes urn. With the tourists already beaten four times in a row, England are now battling to avoid a humiliating whitewash Down Under.
The last time an Ashes series ended 5-0 was in 2013-14, when Michael Clarke’s Australia swept Alastair Cook’s England. Australia will be confident of repeating history, given England’s poor run of form.
England have now lost four consecutive Test matches, equalling their worst streak in the format since that disastrous Ashes tour 11 years ago. Their struggles away from home are also worrying, with 10 defeats in their last 13 overseas Tests.
As pressure mounts, questions are being raised over the future of head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, with England desperately searching for a turnaround before the next Test.
