England captain Ben Stokes has called the fifth and final Ashes clash against Australia a “huge game” and stressed that there would be no coasting at the end of a challenging tour.
The match will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday, following England’s four-wicket victory in Melbourne. That win ended a 15-year drought in Australia, but it came too late to prevent the hosts from retaining the Ashes. Australia had already secured series wins in Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide.
Stokes said momentum and focus were vital for the final Ashes clash. “The Ashes hasn’t gone the way we wanted, but we’ve still got one more game to win,” he said. He added that every player would need to give their best over the next five days. “It’s going to take all 11 of us to get on the right side of the result like we managed last week,” Stokes said.
England announced a 12-man squad on Friday. Seamer Matthew Potts is expected to play after Gus Atkinson suffered a hamstring injury in Melbourne. Spinner Shoaib Bashir and Will Jacks are competing for the final spot in the lineup.
Australia captain Steve Smith noted that the team would assess the pitch before confirming their playing XI. Stokes agreed that predicting pitch behavior was difficult. “No one really has a clue, to be honest,” he said, adding that captains and coaches can only try to give their teams the best chance to win.
As the series concludes, the final Ashes clash represents more than just one match for England. It is a chance to end the tour on a high note and show resilience in a hard-fought series. Fans in Sydney and around the world will be watching closely as both sides prepare for a decisive last battle.
In other news read more about:Final Episodes of My Hero Academia Season 8 Teased in Fresh Trailer
