The England and Surrey wicketkeeper admits it was tough to engage with the series, particularly having played 12 of the previous 16 Tests, but has no animosity towards Jonny Bairstow or the hierarchy for the decision
Ben Foakes has no animosity towards England's hierarchy but admits losing his place ahead of the Ashes felt him feeling "a bit lost".
Despite playing in a dozen of the last 16 Tests, the Surrey wicketkeeper lost his place to the fit-again Jonny Bairstow for the one-off clash with Ireland and the series against Australia.
The Yorkshireman endured an up-and-down series with the gloves, missing six chances across the opening three Tests, but scored 322 runs at 40.25, the most by an England wicketkeeper in a five-Test Ashes series.
Foakes admits to finding the situation tough to process and says watching the Tests was "difficult".
"You feel a bit lost. You get to exactly where you want to be, your career path is going a certain way and then it takes a halt and goes a completely different direction," Foakes told The Daily Telegraph.
One of the other: Ben Foakes and Jonny Bairstow (PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
"The guys who got picked have done well too. There are no sour grapes, it's just a weird head space. I've had quite a topsy-turvy career, then you are where you want to be, performing, dropped."
He added: "Watching was difficult. The last year was the first time I'd felt like an England player, rather than a county player occasionally coming in, and feeling like you (are) playing your last game at any time.
"That was the first time that I felt part of a team, from a backing point of view. Without feeling anything to do with it, you do feel a part of it. You have played with them all, know what they are going through, want them to do well. Didn't win, unfortunately, but what it's done has been great for the country."
Foakes has plenty of experience of losing his place in spite of his England form.
Foakes is now focusing on trying to win a third Championship title with Surrey (Harry Trump/Getty Images)
He was named player of the series following his debut tour in Sri Lanka in 2018 but was replaced during the West Indies tour. Subsequently, illness and injury have prevented him from a clean run in the side since returning for the 2021 India trip.
His County Championship form for Division One leaders Surrey has been solid too, averaging 38.21 in 15 innings.
"The first time I got dropped, I had been man of the series, the best I've ever played, then got dropped two games later, but those two games went badly," he added.
"This time I'd done well and been happy with the way I'd been playing.
"It's a bit of a sinking feeling because you don't really know what to do because you can't tell yourself you didn't do well."
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