Are England ready to face the music in Australia?

Cricket isn’t a one-man show. It never was one and it won’t ever be that way. But, what if that ‘one man’ in question is someone who has rattled bowling lineups with disdain or has tormented batsmen with his audacity? What if he has done both? What if it’s the sensation of Ben Stokes?  He has been pivotal to many of England’s victories. What if he doesn’t feature for England in the 5-match extravaganza? Are England ready for the Ashes without the services of the boisterous and brash cricketing sensation from Christchurch?

For the time the fate of Stokes’ participation hangs in the balance. Meanwhile, the Australians are raring to pounce on their prey- a ‘depleted’ English side. Yes, you heard it right. Depleted. That’s how much of an influence Stokes brings to the fore for England. Even as the Barmy Army prays in anticipation of a positive outcome from the police investigation, England, in all probability, are set to start their campaign without the match-winner.

The first Test begins on November 23 and yet again, it promises to present quality cricket from the age-old antagonists. Meanwhile, Joe Root, the English skipper, has already remarked that England’s Ashes plans won’t involve Stokes. The captain’s statement is bold, yet logical. One can wish for the best, but can’t expect that ‘best’ to unveil overnight.

While it’s a reality which is bitter enough to swallow, it’s pertinent to note that England have to think ahead of Stokes, at least for this Ashes. Chris Woakes is the other seam-bowling all-rounder in the team. However, if he is expected to fill in the void for Stokes, it will be equivalent to asking a soothing genre music-listener to adopt screeching death and black metal.

Stokes is a genuine all-rounder while Woakes is more of a bowler who can get handy runs lower down the order. Moeen Ali is another of those all-rounders, but again, is he good enough to not let England miss the suspended all-rounder’s presence on the field? I say, no. No with a capital N. Stokes’ abilities on the field are unparalleled compared to his teammates. He, unquestionably, would have been a tremendous value-addition to the team. Unfortunately, that aspect is highly unlikely to go their way in Australia.

An uphill task for Root’s men

An Australian tour is no mere joke. They will, in all probability, be served with starters in the form of some pre-match sledging by the hosts. It’s likely to be followed by Warner’s ferocity as the main course. To add to the delicious delight, England will also be treated to some desserts through Mitchell Starc’s thunderbolts.

Stokes’ aggression would have been the appropriate weapon for England to stave off the potential punches from the Kangaroos. Nevertheless, in Stokes’ absence, England will have to churn out ways to fight fire with fire and will definitely have to if they are to give the Aussies a run for their money. England’s Test record in Australia in the past three and half decades has been shambolic, to say the least.

During this while, England played 48 Test matches in which they managed to win 9 and lost a whopping 29 games. Since 2006, England have played three 5-match series’ in Australia, out of which they were whitewashed as many as two times. They have, nonetheless, managed to humble the Aussies back in 2010. Therefore, it’s not like that the English players can’t topple Australia.

Joe Root’s men also took down South Africa earlier this year, which is likely to hold them in good stead ahead of their tour of Down-Under. However, this time round, they have their task cut-out. Ashes is a traditionally hyped tournament and England will definitely have to play out of their skins.

England-the underdogs

Australia clearly have the upper hand ahead of the series and it doesn’t come as a surprise. Root contributed with bat and leadership in his debut series as captain. However, he has the task of psychologically lifting the players and hold them in a positive frame of mind. Even Michael Vaughan didn’t mince any words in commenting that Australia are the favourites if Stokes is left out.

On one hand, the odds are heavily stacked against England on the eve of the series. However, on the other, cricket is a funny game. While it’s an uphill task for the visitors, it’s also an opportunity to showcase that the team doesn’t thrive on one-man shows. But everything eventually boils down to one question:

Do they possess the resources to defy the odds and emerge triumphant?

Are they really up for the challenge? Only time will reveal.

Here are some facts about the Ashes that you need to know: