England captain Ben Stokes has insisted there will be no let-up from his side in the fifth and final Ashes Test against Australia, describing the Sydney clash as a “huge game” despite the series already being decided. He said every match played in England colours carried significance, regardless of the Ashes outcome.
England head into the Sydney Test with renewed confidence after a four-wicket victory inside two days in Melbourne. The win ended a 15-year drought for England in Australia but came too late to prevent Australia from retaining the Ashes, having secured earlier victories in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.
Read More: Stokes seeks solace in positives from England’s Adelaide Ashes loss
Stokes stressed that momentum from the Melbourne win must be maintained. He said the team remained highly motivated and determined to finish the tour on a positive note, rejecting any suggestion that players might mentally switch off at the end of a long tour.
“There’s a lot of time to think about things” 💭
Ben Stokes says now isn’t the right time to reflect on England’s Ashes performance 🏏 pic.twitter.com/xGhLnWwwVv
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 3, 2026
The England skipper acknowledged the pressure his side has faced throughout the series, both from Australian media and critics back home. However, he said the focus remained firmly on the task ahead and on delivering a strong performance over the next five days.
England have named a 12-man squad for the final Test, with seamer Matthew Potts included and likely to feature after Gus Atkinson suffered a hamstring injury in Melbourne. Spinner Shoaib Bashir and all-rounder Will Jacks are competing for the final spot in the playing XI.
Australia captain Steve Smith said the hosts would make a final decision on their team after assessing the pitch conditions at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Stokes echoed the uncertainty around pitch reading, admitting teams often make educated guesses when selecting their final line-ups.
Read More: Stokes seeks solace in positives from England’s Adelaide Ashes loss
He concluded by saying that England’s sole focus was on putting together a complete team performance. Stokes added that thoughts of returning home could wait, with all attention firmly on ending the Ashes series with another win.