Ashes 2023: Ben Stokes’ Leading Style Has Lessons Galore For Other Skippers
New Delhi: As England kept their Ashes 2023 hopes alive with a three-wicket win in the 3rd Test at Headingley on Sunday, the fight is now very much on. At the end of the first two Tests, England, for all their aggression, were threatening to implode as Australia looked all keyed up for another Ashes conquest. But some hard choices and harder cricket has ensured that the hosts live to fight another day and could even be ahead mentally, with the Aussies now having battle a reinvigorated England cricket team, cricket media and the fans in general. But for all the accolades, there is no going back on the fact that it was Ben Stokes leadership quality that made most of the difference.
Stokes somehow, even after two losses, seems to be ahead of his counterpart Pat Cummins in terms of his captaincy. It could well be that his body language is a little more in-your-face than the more diffident Cummins, but there is no mistaking in which skipper is ahead.
Even at Leeds, England could well have been sent packing after their dismal first inning effort. At 131/6, chasing 263, England looked like conceding a big first-inning lead, before Stokes was back in action.
His 80, with six fours and five sixes, whittled down the deficit at rapid pace and by the time he was dismissed, the last man out for England, the lead had been brought down to a very manageable 26 runs.
Australia played without much inspiration in their second inning, with Stoke hurling his fast bowlers at them with way more aggression than the Aussies have managed, and the last-inning chase, while close at the end, was nevertheless achieved.
That knock of 80 and some very inspired captaincy in the field were Stokes’ decided impact on the Test which could well have gone the other way.
He has been in the thick of things throughout the series and it is a pity that his batters have not always met his class or determination.
England could have been ahead in both Tests, but even Stokes, for all his effort, cannot play for all 11.
Hard calls were also made before the Test. James Anderson’s lack of wickets was dealt with without any emotional baggage. Mark Wood made his presence felt with the cricket ball (and also with the bat when it mattered) and that also was a crucial contribution.
Lessons galore for all captains, not least our own Rohit Sharma, about how to play Test cricket. Not everyone has to be playing Bazball, but taking on the opposition with a will to win is definitely something that all need to approach. That may be the mist way to keep Test cricket alive and kicking.