England were left shattered by a heart-wrenching Oval defeat at the hands of India, who completed a series-turnaround by winning by a mere 6 runs. England were left reeling with the five-match series ending in a stalemate at 2-2. Through the anguish, England captain Ben Stokes, one of the series' leading performers, has already turned his attentions, opening up on his aspirations for the next Ashes series later this year. Meanwhile, Stokes, who was unable to play the decider match against India at the Oval, stated that he was bitterly disappointed and accepted that it's always difficult not being on the field. But he was proud of the battle his team displayed and also conceded that the kind of games can turn in either direction. Looking back at the performance of the series, he also mentioned that he's eager to fly to Australia and get their things done there. Here is what Stokes said: “Bitterly disappointed t’s always tough not to be out there. But I’m so proud of the fight the boys showed. These games go. The way in which we’ve been able to perform throughout the series, I’m looking forward to getting to Australia and doing what we want to go out there and do.” Also Read | End of Workload Excuse? BCCI Plans to End Pick-and-Choose Culture After IND-ENG Tests Stokes added that when one of their seamers broke down early in the match, it altered the job of the rest of the seamers. He appreciated the heart and passion the side displayed in the second innings and thought about all the "what-ifs" over the course of five days, which according to him is what makes the game special. He stated that all he and coach Brendon McCullum had requested from the players was to leave everything out there something Josh Tongue, Gus Atkinson, and Jamie Overton undoubtedly did. “When one of your bowlers goes down so early in the game, the role of the other seamers changes, Even in the second innings, the heart and desire they showed was amazing. There were many what-ifs in the last five days, makes the game great, but all Brendon and I asked was to give it everything. Tongue, Atkinson and Overton showed it,” Stokes concluded.