As the 2025-26 Ashes series prepares to ignite at Perth's Optus Stadium on Friday, all eyes are on England captain Ben Stokes, a cricketer seemingly destined for a career-defining performance on Australian soil.
From Tourists to Test Combatants
England's approach to this crucial series has blended relaxation with intense preparation. While several players enjoyed tourist activities like golf and fishing trips to Rottnest Island - with Brydon Carse proudly displaying his catch - the squad has since switched to serious training mode.
The nets at Optus Stadium received glowing reviews from former captain Joe Root, who noted their superior pace and bounce compared to previous practice facilities. Root expressed confidence that just three quality sessions would sufficiently prepare the team for Friday's opening encounter.
Significantly, Mark Wood delivered an encouraging 40-minute bowling spell, with recent scans confirming his stiff hamstring shows no serious injury concerns.
The Stokes Factor: Poking the Bear
At the heart of England's campaign stands their inspirational captain, Ben Stokes, whose training intensity sets the standard for the entire squad. He was the last to leave practice on Monday, demonstrating his trademark commitment despite suffering an unfortunate blow to the box from net bowler Josh Hull.
Former Australian opener David Warner recently warned his compatriots against provoking Stokes during the series. "If we can sort of not poke that bear and get him up and about," Warner cautioned, "I think that will help the Australians enormously."
Yet those familiar with Stokes anticipate he'll arrive at the contest fully motivated regardless, with this series representing both the culmination of his four-year leadership project and a personal mission to settle unfinished business from previous Australian tours.
Perth: Where It All Began
The Western Australian capital holds special significance for Stokes, being the venue where he announced himself on the international stage twelve years ago. In December 2013, a 22-year-old Stokes scored his maiden Test century - a resilient 120 from 195 balls - providing the sole positive from England's 5-0 series whitewash.
Contemporary reports noted how Australian players "harried and chivvied, abused, bounced, and rattled" the young all-rounder, treatment he met with "indifference" while establishing himself as a special talent. His subsequent six-wicket haul in Sydney weeks later confirmed England had discovered a genuine all-rounder of immense character and skill.
Despite this promising beginning, Stokes's subsequent Ashes tours down under have brought frustration. The 2017-18 series saw him watching from New Zealand while serving a suspension, while the 2021-22 campaign saw him underprepared both physically and mentally following a break to address anxiety and depression.
Stokes has since admitted that 2021-22 tour came "too early", acknowledging he let "the excitement and history of the Ashes get the better of my thinking."
A Thunder God Reborn
The 2025 version of Ben Stokes presents a dramatically different prospect. Refreshed by family time in New Zealand and coming off a career-best summer with the ball that yielded 20 wickets at 24 runs apiece, he appears in formidable condition.
His full-throttle approach remains both his greatest strength and potential vulnerability, with coaches still attempting to manage his marathon bowling spells to prevent injury. Yet if Stokes maintains fitness throughout this two-month campaign, Australian crowds may witness the complete fulfilment of the talent that first emerged from the rubble of the 2013-14 Ashes.
As England's Bazball philosophy faces its ultimate examination, the tourists' fortunes appear inextricably linked to their captain's performance. Whether provoked or not, this particular bear holds the key to England's Ashes ambitions.
