Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting feels that Ben Stokes’ ultra-defensive approach is hurting England’s chances in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22.

Returning to the game of cricket in ongoing Ashes 2021-22 after taking an indefinite break, Ben Stokes hasn’t had a kind of impact with the bat as he would’ve wanted. 

The southpaw’s poor form has been one of the main reasons for England’s horrendous outings with the bat so far in the five-Test series. Stokes got starts in every match so far but failed to convert them into big knocks. He scored 19 runs in Gabba and then followed it with 46 runs in the second match in Adelaide. 

In the ongoing first innings of the third Test of Ashes 2021-22 at MCG, Ben Stokes yet again failed to convert his start into the big innings as he scored only 25 runs in 60 balls. The all-rounder so far has a strike rate of 29.50 after facing 305 balls in the series. 

Speaking to Cricket.com.au, Ricky Ponting pointed out that Ben Stokes looked ultra-defensive in the ongoing third Test against Australia at MCG. He mentioned that the southpaw hasn’t looked in his usual aggressive form, to which opposition teams feared to bowl to. 

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He admitted that even though the conditions are not easy and Stokes is playing against good bowlers, he needs to put pressure on them otherwise they’ll be all over him. 

“He's looked ultra-defensive. He hasn't looked like the big, physically aggressive presence at the crease that opposition teams have feared to bowl to in other series. You can understand why the batting conditions haven't been easy in any game and he's coming up against some good bowlers. But I think if you just sit back and wait, and don't put pressure on great bowlers, they're going to get you out," Ricky Ponting said. 

While talking about England’s poor performance with the bat in the first innings of the ongoing MCG Test against Australia, Ponting said that it looked like the visitors are not up for the fight. 

He admitted that everyone expected the Joe Root-led side to come out good at MCG after they showed a great fight in the second innings of the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. He stressed that even though conditions were tough on Day 1 of the third Test but that’s where ‘Ashes names are made’. 

"You can talk as much as you want, but we can only judge on the actions that we see, and some of the actions that we've seen today didn't look like they're up for the fight at all. 

“They showed a lot in the second innings in Adelaide and everyone thought that might have been a blueprint for them on how to fight and get through some tough situations. It was a tough situation (today), it was it was a difficult wicket, but, you know, that's where Ashes names are made,” he said. 

Ricky Ponting said that it has been a pretty ordinary batting display from England in the first two and a half Test matches of Ashes 2021-22. 

He lashed out at three senior English batters in Joe Root (50), Ben Stokes (25), and Jos Buttler (3) for their dismissals, saying that if leaders aren’t going to do then the visitors shouldn’t expect youngsters to get the job done. 

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"It's about getting through tough periods of play for your team. Joe got a fifty again and got out, and the rest of them really didn't look like it. It's been very ordinary batting from this outfit in the first two and a half Test matches.

"(It was) inexcusable for three of your more senior players, the players that they needed to stand up on the back of what we believe were some pretty stern discussions after the Adelaide game. If your leaders aren't going to do it, then you can't expect the younger guys to get the job done,” he said. 

Notably, after being thumped by 9 wickets and 275 runs in Gabba and Adelaide Tests respectively, England was bundled out for just 185 runs in their first innings of the ongoing third Test at MCG. It remains to be seen if the Joe Root-led side can keep the series alive or not. 

(Cricket.com.au inputs)