Cricket Feature: Will Ben Stokes-led England win the Ashes?

At that point, Joe Root had overseen a run of 1 win in 17 Test matches. It is the kind of record that usually gets a captain the sack, no matter their importance to the team in their role as a batter or bowler.

However, since Stokes has been at the helm – with Brendon McCullum as head coach – England has looked like a side re-energised and revitalised.

Their 2022 home summer has seen them win a remarkable 6 out of 7 Test matches they’ve played – a fantastic turnaround that has taken place with a renewed template for playing the game.

McCullum might detest the term ‘Bazball’, but it is seemingly here to stay, mainly because England has never played this aggressively in Test cricket.

Their approach to the game in the most extended format has always been traditional – bat long, be patient, bowl long spells and don’t take too many risks. However, under McCullum and Stokes, traditionalism has gone out of the window.

Now you see batters attempting to knock the ball out of the park from ball one, whereas the pacers are bowling to extremely attacking fields and packed slip cordons.

It is a complete 180 from the way Root played the game as skipper, but to his credit, he – as well as the rest of the team – has bought into the game plan.

It also raises England’s hopes ahead of the 2023 Ashes that the team can be competitive. After all, they haven’t been able to keep up with Australia over the last two Ashes series.

2017-18 saw them predictably lose the series at Australia, whereas 2019 in England ended in a draw, meaning Australia retained the urn.

And in 2021-22, Australia dominated against an England side that looked broken. They won the five-match series 4-0 in their backyard, and never did it seem likely that England would be able to match their standards.

However, things look very different in 2022 for England. Their batting – buoyed by Joe Root’s recent renaissance in form – has looked solid.

Jonny Bairstow has also been a revelation lower down the order, even hitting a memorable ton against India in the one-off Test this summer.

The bowling has looked potent again, thanks in no small part to the recall of veterans James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Ollie Robinson has also been recalled and has looked threatening with the new ball.

Stokes is also firing on all cylinders – his batting is looking good, his bowling has often brought England key breakthroughs, and his leadership has remained inspired.

And the team have bought into the new template of being aggressive and playing on the front foot, which will only get better in a year.

There are still issues to sort – England’s opening woes continue, and they can sometimes collapse in a heap due to trying too hard to be aggressive.

But there is no doubt that they will fancy their chances in the 2023 Ashes and start the series as favourites.