England’s talismanic all-rounder Ben Stokes had an excellent year in Test cricket in 2022. He not only contributed as a player but ever since he took over as England captain in the longest format of the game, he has turned around the fortunes of the side as well.
Under Stokes, England won 9 out of 10 Tests including series wins at home over New Zealand and South Africa, and won the rescheduled fifth Test against India to level the series 2-2.
Then they visited Pakistan and hammered them 3-0 in the Test series on pedestrian pitches with alarming scoring rates and tremendous bowling. England’s 506/4 on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan was the most runs scored by any team on the first day of a Test match.
In the matches in which Stokes led England, the team struck at a game-changing 4.77 per over. England’s scoring rate of 4.13 across 15 Tests in 2022 was the second highest in history and the most since Australia in 1910.
As a captain Stokes was hugely impressive, setting clever traps with his fields and utilizing his bowlers brilliantly throughout the year. He was decisive with selections and picked players based on conditions and merit meaning that many new faces were introduced, some recalled and a few names sat out as well.
He led from the front as well, scoring 870 runs at an average of 36.25 and an aggressive strike rate of 71.21, notching up two centuries. His first-inning 103 in the second Test against South Africa was the standout knock for him and he also took four wickets in that match as well.
(ICC inputs)
