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The cricketing world still reveled in the exploits of Ben Stokes on the final day of the Second Ashes Test at Lord’s. In the kind of performance that has become the hallmark of an England Test captain, he seemed to be on his way to another magical win for his side. However, the challenge proved too much in the end, even for the indefatigable Stokes.
However, these innings were not only a great spectacle, but a very good sign for the times to come as far as the England Test team was concerned. They may have trailed 2-0 in the series, but the home team in the Ashes may have recovered their biggest weapon.
Ben Stokes – player and captain
Since the beginning of his tenure as captain, Ben Stokes has led a string of successes. After a miserable spell of one win in 17 Test matches before Stokes took over, the England side saw an unlikely comeback.
This produced 11 wins in 13 Tests under the all-rounder and head coach Brendon McCollum, ahead of Ashes 2023.
Stokes proved to be a very successful captain and was doing everything right. But there was one area, a major one, in which he seemed to fail miserably.
That was in getting the best performance in his team – Ben Stokes himself. In his zeal to set an example of positivity and ruthlessness with the bat, Stokes, a batsman of very sound technique and a wide range of shots, batted with the utmost recklessness.
He was trotting from the beginning of his innings and taking shots that were not appropriate for a player of his quality. The rationale for hitting can be seen this way – he wanted to show the team that they should be brave, but often crossed the fine line between daring and recklessness.
People often forget how good a batsman Ben Stokes is. He had been England’s best with the bat a few years earlier, when Joe Root was out of shape and none of the other batsmen had been able to deliver consistent performances for England. This made it all the more annoying to see him not put a high price on his wickets.
He scored a hundred against South Africa in the domestic league last year. But this was a rare high point in his fighting during his first year as captain.
England clash in the Ashes 2023 Ward Ben Stokes
In the continuing Ashes, England’s seemingly indifferent style with the bat cost them dearly in the first Test. The first innings of the Second Test also saw the Poms display aggression devoid of sensitivity. Bazball – as the media calls New England’s style of play – was clearly leading to irresponsible batting.
However, in the midst of the fierce batting from England, there was something very encouraging for the team and their fans in their first innings of the Second Test. Their leader decided to strike in a completely different way than the last ones.
Ben Stokes scored 17 off 58 balls in that innings. He was happy to leave deliveries off off stump and use his strong defense to block those that were not necessary to hit.
This knock-down came at a point in the play in which Australia handed out three important points from England’s order in a relatively small amount of time.
It was clear that Stokes would not bowl his own wicket in a rash attempt to counter the Australian short-ball barrage, which caused those three wickets to fall.
When he was out it was a matter of a roaring delivery from Mitchell Stark that rose sharply and took the edge when the left-handed batsman tried to run it down the leg side.
In England’s second innings, Ben Stokes was out to hit his side with a full crunch. The hosts were 45/4 chasing 371. Once again, the England captain decided to opt for daring and grinding, rather than flamboyance and recklessness.
He was patient, almost calm, and played second fiddle to Ben Duckett, who regularly pushed the boundaries.
Their partnership of 132 runs revived England’s hopes. But it soon went well as England were 193/6 and all of their established batsmen, with the exception of Stokes, were back on the wing. That’s when the team leader decided to spread his wings and flex his muscles.
Suddenly he got into beast mode and smashed the Australian bowling. What was important about this show of hitting power was the method of madness. Not only was he swinging his bat wildly, he was carefully aiming for the right deliveries and aiming for the right areas. This was 2019 Headingley all over again.
Also in that epic strike four years ago, Stokes showed tremendous patience early on, before going into all-out attack mode at the end. He was doing it for Australia again.
While his daring hitting may have ended without the intended result, Stokes’ hitting in both innings indicated a major threat to Australia and the other teams. Ben Stokes – a quality batsman – is back. He got out of his reckless way.
Possessing both a challenging style and crushing power, he can take on any situation and produce the perfect hit. This is a great sign in the long run.
Ben Stokes has the potential to be a leading batsman in the world. It’s much more intimidating to the opposition when playing this role than just hitting.
If the England captain decided to use this form permanently, it would be a huge threat to all sides of the opposition. This is the biggest takeaway from his exploits at Lourdes. The roles were fleeting, but the style must remain.
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