England coach denies Ben Stokes has been let down by his team after another Ashes collapse

England look set to slip to another Ashes series defeat in Australia after struggling with the bat on day of the third Test in Adelaide

Ben Stokes fought valiantly in Adelaide but saw wickets tumble at the other end (Robbie Stephenson/PA) (PA Wire)

England’s Ashes aspirations suffered another significant blow in Adelaide as their batting line-up faltered under immense pressure, despite assistant coach Marcus Trescothick’s insistence that the team had not let captain Ben Stokes down.

The stage was set for England’s struggling batsmen to finally assert themselves against Australia’s modest first-innings total of 371.

However, instead of seizing the initiative, they were comprehensively dismantled, managing a deeply underwhelming 213 for eight by the close of play on day two.

This collapse occurred in sweltering conditions, with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees, on a pitch offering no discernible demons.

The top three batsmen were back in the pavilion within the first 10 overs, with the rest of the order soon following suit.

Pat Cummins, Scott Boland, and Nathan Lyon shared the wickets, exploiting conditions that should have presented a far greater challenge to the Australian attack.

Zak Crawley was one of England’s batters who fell cheaply again (Getty Images)

By stumps, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, and Will Jacks all held series averages below 30, a stark indictment of their collective struggles.

Stokes, however, stood firm, crafting an uncharacteristic 45 not out from 151 painstaking deliveries, hitting just three boundaries.

His innings was a stark departure from the aggressive ‘Bazball’ philosophy, instead echoing the defensive resilience of Geoff Boycott.

This defiant stand came at a considerable physical cost, as he battled cramps, limped between the wickets, and endured stifling temperatures.

Despite the captain’s heroic effort, Trescothick rebuffed suggestions that the team had failed to match Stokes’s resolve.

"I’m not sure ‘letting him down’ is the right terminology to use to be honest. Everybody is trying 100 per cent and working as hard as they can," he stated after a day that edged England closer to an irretrievable 3-0 series deficit.

He continued: "It’s not like anybody is going in to any game and not working as hard as anybody else. They just haven’t had the success they wanted at this stage. But success comes and goes, it’s not guaranteed or given that you’ll succeed in every series."

Addressing Stokes’s unique approach, Trescothick added: "Ben has chosen to play in that fashion today and gone about it in a way he thought was right.

“Everybody has the opportunity to try and read the situation and judge what they’re going to try and do; the players will play in certain ways and we trust them to do that."

Marcus Trescothick feels Ben Stokes has not been let down (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)

When pressed on whether the other batsmen had made the correct judgments, Trescothick, defying the scoreboard, responded: "Pretty much, yeah."

Regarding Stokes’s physical state, a testament to his career-long willingness to push his body to its limits, Trescothick confirmed: "He’s tired and a bit dehydrated. He was cramping most of the last session."

"It’s kind of what he does and it almost focuses him. He’s at his best when he’s in that frame of mind, when it’s really tricky and tough, when there are conditions or situations that other people don’t succeed in," he explained.

"He found it hard getting enough the volume of carbohydrate drink into him because he was sweating so quickly. He couldn’t drink as much as he wanted through feeling a bit ill. But he dug in, worked hard and batted out for a long period of time."