‘Only win will do in biggest Test of Bazball era’

Finally, the Ashes can resume.

By the time the second Test in Brisbane begins on Thursday, it will be 12 days since England’s crushing defeat by Australia in Perth.

Twelve days of English recrimination and introspection. Twelve days of being followed around golf courses and to the aquarium, of being called arrogant. Twelve days of poring over whether or not to play in an England Lions game in Canberra.

Enough time to fit in all the days of Christmas.

Plenty of Christmases will be shaped by the next five days (or maybe four, three or even two days). The difference between a cracker over the festive period or another Ashes procession with all the appeal of dry turkey.

The difference between thousands of England fans arriving in Australia with hope, or those at home not bothering to flick on the TV or radio in the middle of a winter night.

This could be the most important Test for the entire Bazball project. It is certainly the most crucial since the third Test of the 2023 Ashes, when England were 2-0 down and teetering on implosion.

If coach Brendon McCullum believes this Ashes series is the defining moment for this team, now is the time to be defined.

Yes, a 2-0 deficit would not mean the Ashes are mathematically gone, but we have seen this movie before. It ends with a scoreline including a four or five, sackings and a review of the domestic system.

Australia have not lost three consecutive home Tests – the challenge awaiting England if they lose this week – in 37 years. Australia have not lost three in a row after taking a lead in a home series since the 1954-55 Ashes.

The last time England won at the Gabba, 39 years ago, Stuart Broad’s father Chris was in the team and Sir Alex Ferguson was barely two weeks into his reign as Manchester United manager.

Then again, England’s overall record in Australia is so bad it feels pointless to single out individual venues. The Perth defeat extended the winless run to 16 matches and almost 15 years. Marcus Trescothick, the England assistant coach, has more Test wins in this country than the entire playing squad combined.

Along with the tide of history, England must overcome a pink ball that brings all the familiarity of a UFO. Australia’s Mitchell Starc performs better in twilight than Robert Pattinson.

Not that any of this appears to be weighing heavy on English shoulders. In typical Bazball style, the tourists appear undaunted and relaxed. The only unusual element to their Brisbane build-up has been five days of training – more than the Test could last for.

The calmness is reassuring. Rightly or wrongly, England remain committed to their method. If everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face, England have taken a haymaker and kept their plans intact. At best, confident. At worst, naive.

It is England’s attitude that seems to cause so much vitriol from their critics and attention from the local media.

When captain Ben Stokes said on Tuesday his team have not done anything wrong, he was right – bar not wearing helmets on their e-scooters.

It is unreasonable and unrealistic to ask the tourists to be chained to the nets, or spend every moment away from cricket locked in their rooms. There has been an absence of context in the reporting of England’s activities in Australia, not least the oppressive Covid restrictions they endured four years ago.

Stokes was also right to say his team can be called “rubbish” but not “arrogant”. They were rubbish in Perth, although suggestions from former Australia pace bowler Mitchell Johnson that England have an arrogance are wide of the mark.

Stokes, Mark Wood and Jofra Archer would not have repeatedly repaired their broken bodies if they did not have respect for Test cricket. Harry Brook has taken an Indian Premier League ban in order to commit to England. Joe Root is a humble all-time great.

Unfortunately for England, perception feeds reality. The only way they can alter the narrative that surrounds them is with victory.

To do that they need to adapt to conditions at the Gabba better than they did in Perth, particularly crucial in the day-night environment.

The lights have been coming on at 17:30 local time each day, meaning more of the Test will be floodlit than not. England must be able to identify when to move up and down the gears, rather than slamming into sixth, putting their foot down and hoping for the best.

Given the noise following England, Stokes is working overtime as a leader, yet that cannot detract from his responsibility as a player.

In Brisbane he will once again act as the fourth seamer, undertaking more physical strain.

Stokes must also find a way to defy Starc, the pace bowler to have dismissed him most in Test cricket. There is an argument for Stokes and Jamie Smith to switch places at six and seven. Smith is probably a better batter and Stokes might be more suited to marshalling the lower order.

Stokes needs help from his senior players, not least Root, who will be haunted by his lack of a century in Australia until he finally gets one.

No specialist batter has played as many as Root’s 29 innings here without registering a ton.

England need Zak Crawley to repay their sizable investment and for Archer to show he is the equal of any Australia pace bowler – Archer has as many defeats as wins from his previous 14 Tests.

What about Brook getting his average of 38 against Australia closer to his career mark of 56? Maybe Will Jacks could take advantage of his unexpected recall to become a new version of Moeen Ali. Perhaps this is the week Smith, Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse come of age as Ashes performers.

As it stands, England’s impact on Brisbane currently centres on e-scooters. On Wednesday morning local police were reminding the public to wear helmets and keeping tabs on riders crossing Kangaroo Bridge with a speed gun.

Come next week, Stokes’ men will want their legacy to be a storming of the Gabba, defying pink-ball specialists Australia for a historic and Ashes-levelling triumph.

Only a win changes the perception of this England team.

Only a win vindicates the Canberra decision and can ensure a peaceful holiday in Noosa after the Test.

Only a win stops supporters turning on them and prevents questions about futures.

It is hard to see how this Test will be drawn. Only an England win keeps the Ashes alive.