Stokes ready to end series on high after ‘emotionless’ draw

LONDON: The Ashes wash-out at Old Trafford left England feeling ‘emotionless’ but the host will need no stirring ahead of the fifth Test starting on Thursday, according to captain Ben Stokes.

England would almost certainly have beaten Australia in the fourth Test to arrive at The Oval 2-2 but not a single ball was bowled as the rain poured down on the final day.

“Leaving Manchester after the game was done, I’ve never left the field, never left a game emotionless,” Stokes said at a press conference on Wednesday.

“It was a really bizarre feeling the way the game petered out because of the weather. You sort of look back and wish maybe we either got beat or Australia managed to pull a draw off in that situation,” the skipper said.

“Shaking hands with the umpires and the opposition at the end, you could see that from both sides, it was emotionless, Australia retaining the Ashes and us not being able to win it back. Two teams of professional athletes want to be out there playing against each other, doing what we do. It was a flat feeling.”

Stokes said the mood has now changed to wanting to finish a riveting series on a high and make sure Australia does not depart with a first series win in England since 2001.

“Putting the shirt on, walking out to represent my country, that’s all the emotion I need,” said Stokes.

“Everyone’s very aligned in terms of what we want to do. And I’m not someone who speaks for the sake of speaking. If I feel I need to say something then I will but I don’t think I need to this week, it’s pretty obvious what we need to go out and do,” he added.

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