‘Best coaching week of my career’ - Justin Langer reflects on how Australia coped with 2019 Headingley loss

Over the years, the Ashes have witnessed many memorable encounters between Australia and England, but very few compare to all-rounder Ben Stokes’ heroics at Headingley in 2019. As England aimed to chase down a target of 359 runs to win the third Test, Stokes played an inspirational knock of 135* to propel his side to a brilliant victory.

Stokes' scintillating knock left Australia in despair. With their confidence in shambles, it was in the hands of then-coach Justin Langer to help them regain their confidence and make a comeback in the marquee series.

Reflecting on the mood in the camp after the Headingley loss, Langer has come forward to reveal that he had several sleepless nights after England’s win in the third Ashes 2019 Test. Furthermore, he also reflected on how the Australian team coped with the loss and focused on the remaining two games of the series. 

"After Ben Stokes’s heroics at Headingley in 2019, I clearly remember a sleepless night, not uncommon for a coach. Much to the chagrin of most of the players, the next morning we sat in the hotel boardroom and watched the entire Stokes and Leach partnership on video. You could cut the air with a knife," Justin Langer wrote in his column for The Telegraph.

Furthermore, Langer also revealed that his strategy for coping with the Headingley loss was to tackle the disappointment head-on, as he knew that had the morale remained low, then the Ashes could have slipped out of their grasp.

"I know winning is a habit, as is form. That week between Headingley and retaining the Ashes at Old Trafford in 2019, was the best coaching week of my career. It wasn’t popular, leadership rarely is, but the learnings were invaluable," Langer wrote.

"A late decision was made for us to travel together as an entire squad to prepare for the fourth Test. This didn’t go down perfectly, but with clear communication of why we thought it was important, the synergy of the group was strengthened, and everyone was on board. The rewards were worth the effort," he added.

The decision seemed to work out as Australia went into the fourth Test with their heads held high, won the game by a mammoth 185 runs, and made their way back into the series.