The Ashes 2025-26: ‘England’s Ben Stokes is a lion leading lambs – he needs team-mates to step up’

But Stokes will lead an XI that is almost unrecognisable from the last Test of the previous Ashes series in 2023. England will have five survivors. If Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood had been fit, Australia could have had as many as nine.

There was a thought before this series that it could be decided by which skipper urges his body through the most time on the field.

Cummins has played just one game and has won. Stokes will complete a Test series for the first time in two years and still be beaten.

Australia have a ready-made captaincy deputy in Steve Smith and probably could pass the armband to Travis Head and Alex Carey if required. Billed as ageing and over the hill, the Australians have proved themselves to be full of battle-hardened grown-ups.

Since the last Ashes, England have lost, dropped or moved on from Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes, Ollie Robinson and Jack Leach. Taken in isolation, the individual selection decisions were valid and necessary, but have left England lacking leaders.

Too often on this tour, there has been a feeling that Stokes is a lion leading lambs.

Duckett, Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson have wilted under the brightest lights, Mark Wood’s injury left the pace attack without a senior seamer and Harry Brook is a vice-captain in need of maturity.

On Friday, Zak Crawley, whose 63 Tests will make him England’s third-most capped player in Sydney, was asked about being a senior player.

“I never see myself like that to be honest,” said the opener. “I don’t think anyone in the team truly does.”