Brisbane: England did their best to shrug off the omission of Ben Stokes from the Ashes tour squad but the world class all-rounder's absence was felt keenly by the tourists in their crushing 10-wicket defeat by Australia at the Gabba.
Stokes has been suspended since he was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm outside a Bristol nightclub in September and police continue to investigate the incident.
News that Stokes had flown to New Zealand, his country of birth, fanned speculation he could be set for a recall, despite England's cricket board saying the trip was "private" and not Ashes-related.