Ashes 2025: Stokes looks for positives as Cummins casts doubt on Lyon availability for Melbourne Test

England captain Ben Stokes believes there are positives to build on despite another bruising setback in the Ashes, insisting lessons learnt in defeat in Adelaide can help his side avoid a whitewash and claim a long-awaited victory Down Under.

Australia’s 82-run win in the third Test at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday sealed an unassailable 3-0 lead and ensured the hosts retained the urn with two matches to spare.

However, England’s improved second-innings batting offered a sliver of encouragement for Stokes as the focus turns to Melbourne and Sydney, where the tourists will attempt to secure their first Test win in Australia since 2011.

“I think some individuals have probably learned a lot more about themselves throughout this week than they did maybe a week or two ago,” Stokes said. “There were a lot of positives to take out of this game and for us to build on, not only into the two games left in the series, but also how cricket looks in the future.

“We had guys going out there in some pretty high-pressure moments and I thought they stood up very, very well. It’s obviously hard to look at it with too much positivity at the moment, because there’s a lot of emotion attached to where we are.”

England have struggled throughout the series and criticism has been levelled at the management over their preparation for Australian conditions. However, the resilience shown in Adelaide has restored a measure of belief within the camp.

“There’s much more clarity now,” Stokes added. “When guys are walking out to bat or coming on to bowl, there’s a better understanding of what is needed. But then it’s about executing that for long enough. If you don’t, you get punished.”

Starc: Experience counts

Meanwhile, the wealth of experience in Australia's ranks helped them remain calm in a difficult lead-up to the Ashes, fast ⁠bowler Mitchell Starc said.

Australia wrapped up the series in Adelaide on Sunday to retain the urn, putting an end to the criticism of the team's age profile that dominated the pre-Ashes discussion.

Starc said it was Australia's know-how ‌that proved crucial when injuries to captain Pat Cummins and paceman Josh Hazlewood left them ‍in a precarious position ahead ‍of the first Test in Perth.

"[Injuries] certainly didn't change the way that the ⁠group approached things heading into Perth. A lot was made about how old the group is and how experienced they are," he told reporters.

"Perhaps that's played into our hands, with having been through some good times, and some not so good times over the course of our careers together. Things have never gotten too high or low. If we haven't had a good day, it's pretty easy to move on from and learn from.

"For guys that have come in, less experienced or younger, I think that the freedom to express themselves as players but also learn from that experience has been beneficial in the way we've played our cricket."

Starc led Australia's bowling attack ⁠in the absence of Cummins and Hazlewood, bowling 95.5 overs ​and taking a series-leading 22 ‍wickets across the first three matches.

The 35-year-old said his decision to retire from Twenty20 internationals and focus on Test ⁠cricket had ‌allowed him to perform at his best, adding: "I've made decisions with my body