Ashes 2025-26: Ben Stokes’ quiet returns with the bat prompt concerns over whether his batting spark has faded.
Since the beginning of 2025, Ben Stokes has struggled with only 496 Test runs in 17 innings at an average of 29.17. The ongoing Ashes 2025-26 continues to be a nightmare for the England captain with the bat. The Southpaw has managed only 183 runs in nine innings at 20.33 with a solitary fifty during this trip. The poor numbers give full justification for whether Stokes has lost his mojo as a batter.
The 34-year-old introduced himself to the longest format during his second game in the Ashes 2013-14. On the fifth day at the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA), Stokes recorded an eye-catching knock of 120 runs in 195 balls with 18 boundaries and one six. Being the premier all-rounder of the current side, alongside shouldering the leadership, England hope to get the same contribution from the veteran.
Ben Stokes’ batting struggle in Tests continues
From the beginning of 2023 to the end of 2024, Stokes notched up 1117 runs in 36 Test innings at 32.85. He also carried a decent strike rate of 63.93, thanks to his seven half-centuries and one century.
However, he somehow lost his mojo with the average dropping to 29.17 since the start of 2025. Among those who have played at least 10 Tests in this period for England, Stokes’ 29.17 remains the lowest average in the top seven.
The New Zealand-born hasn’t enjoyed batting against the red ball away from home. Since the beginning of 2024, Stokes has an average of 22.8 in alien conditions for his 593 runs in 27 innings. He is yet to celebrate a century away from home in the last 25 months. Meanwhile, in the same period, he carried an average of 42.08 for 505 runs in 13 Test innings at home.
Stokes seems to be uncertain of his self-made Bazball approach. Since he was appointed the England Test captain and working with head coach Brendon McCullum, the message has been quite simple: be aggressive with the bat. But Stokes remains the imposter of the same Bazball.
Since the beginning of June 2022, the 34-year-old has the lowest strike rate of 61.08 among those who registered at least 1000 Test runs for England. On most occasions of the 41 innings, Stokes batted at numbers six and seven. That would be the ideal position for him to free up the arms to bat with the tail. But he seems to be arrested in a double mindset. And that has caused him a lot.
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Australia expose Ben Stokes’ weakness in Ashes 2025-26
Ben Stokes’ contribution with the bat is massive for England in the longest format. In his career, he has crossed 75 runs in 24 Tests, and the Three Lions have won 12 of those at a winning rate of 50 pc. This reflects how Stokes’ batting solves multiple problems for his team in the five-day format.
On the second day of the fifth Ashes 2025-26 Test in Sydney, Stokes walked into the middle under a little pressure of delivering with the bat. The visitors were in a good position with 226-4 as Joe Root was unbeaten on 80 runs. Mitchell Starc, on his second over of the new spell, came from round the wicket. On the very second ball to Stokes, Starc troubled the left-handed batter.
The fullish delivery into the leg-side swung away surprisingly to get the batter’s leading edge towards the backward point. The lengths were the key. It was neither short nor full as Stokes remained pinned at the crease. On his 11th ball, the England captain got an outside edge into the hands of the wicket-keeper. The line forced the batter to play from the crease and returned for a duck.
It was the 14th time Starc dismissed Stokes in Tests, with the latter averaging 16.1 for his 225 runs in 409 balls. The average drops to 13 for eight dismissals down under. That had been a particular plan from Australia where they kept the New South Wales pacer in the attack every time Stokes was new at the crease.
Even during the first innings of the third Test in Adelaide, Stokes had no idea of Starc’s magic. It was a wobbly seam delivery that nipped back to create the gap between bat and pad for the batter. The Durham player was livid with himself and tossed the bat up in disbelief. It had been the same kind of dismissals.
England will hope to see their captain returning in his beast mode with the bat. There is no question about his bowling. He has been clinical with the ball even in the ongoing Ashes, with 15 wickets in eight innings at 20.80 and a strike rate of 32.66. But the visitors need him with the bat, and the second innings in the SCG Test could possibly be the best opportunity.
After this New Year’s Test, England are scheduled to play their next red-ball contest against New Zealand. The opening Test of the three-match series begins on June 04 at Lord’s.
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