‘Finally we’ve won one’: Ben Stokes delighted by Ashes Test win but pitch was ‘not ideal’

Ben Stokes shared a hug with Joe Root and spoke of an “awesome feeling” after watching his England side claw back some respectability on this failed Ashes tour with a rollercoaster two-day victory in Melbourne. Of the England squad, none had felt the pain of an 18-match winless streak more than the captain and his predecessor. Stokes had played in 13 Tests here without ever tasting a victory, while for Root the number was 17. With both men aged 34, this tour may well have been their last chance. “It’s an awesome feeling,” said Stokes, his side having chased down a target of 175 on a bowler-friendly surface that had produced 36 wickets in just six sessions. “To end up on the right side of a...