Stokes urges England to 'show a bit of dog' in must-win Adelaide clash

For all the noise around England's position in the Ashes series, Ben Stokes sees something familiar in it. Two summers ago, at home, his side found themselves 0-2 down before clawing their way back to level the series. This time, the setting is far harsher, away in Australia, where England haven't won a Test in 15 years, but the captain insists the clarity of the task remains unchanged.

"We are able to draw on experience of being in this situation before," Stokes said on the eve of the crucial Adelaide Test. "We know what it's like to be in this situation and knew we had to come here and win this amount of games anyway. In terms of that, it hasn't changed from before we started."

Rather than viewing the deficit as something that complicates the road ahead, Stokes suggested it has sharpened the team's thinking. "Everyone knows what needs to happen in the coming week, and after that as well. If anything, it actually makes everything look a bit more simple and a bit more clear for us. I have full backing that we can do this."

Stokes was equally firm in rejecting the idea that the players now owe him and the management a response for his unwavering support of them. "No, I would never put it like that," he said. "We have backed a group over a long period of time to not only enjoy what this game offers to you when it's all going well, but these are the times where the players you have backed, you trust to go out there and deliver in moments like these.

"Those are the guys who hopefully this week can stand up for the team and also for the country as well. I would never put it like that - you owe me, you owe us. Go out, do what needs to be done, and back yourself to do it."

The talismanic captain urged his side to show that they have "bit of dog" in them in this must-win game, citing the Lord's Test against India from earlier this year as an example. That game, also the third Test of the series, provided the flashpoint when Zak Crawley and India captain Shubman Gill indulged in a war of words over time-wasting tactics. A revved-up England then produced a solid performance to win that Test.

"I've done all the talking over the last two days that I needed to. All that stuff's done now, so it's about what gets seen out on the field in Adelaide this week. It's just about trying to fight in every situation that you find yourself in, understanding the situation and what you feel is required for your team. Just look at your opposition every single time and show a bit of dog. That's fight to me. You're giving yourself the best possible chance if you've got a bit of dog in you."

The backdrop to the Test also includes the lingering edge from the end of the Brisbane Test, where Jofra Archer's hostile spell at Steve Smith briefly and belatedly injected some bite into the contest. Stokes, though, was careful to frame such moments as secondary to the broader objective.

"We have to remember what the actual goal this week is, and make sure that it is at the forefront of everyone's mind," he said. "If a moment arises where we feel we need to get niggly like that, then I'm sure it'll happen and we will have to jump on the back of those moments as a team. It's making sure the mind doesn't go solely on creating something like that. The main thing out of this week is making sure we get the win."

That sense of purpose, according to Stokes, has been reflected in the group's response over the last few days. "It goes one or two ways," he said. "The response that the whole group has shown as a collective has been exactly what I wanted.

"So yeah, everyone's got a very, very clear mind and they've understand what this week is all about."