The third Test between England and Australia of the ongoing Ashes 2019 ended up being the perfect example of why Test cricket is called the greatest format of the game. It tests all the aspects of the sport- batting, bowling, fielding and most important- temperament.
This was tested on the fourth day of the Test match as England aimed to chase down 203 runs with 7 wickets in hand. Joe Root could add only 2 runs to his overnight score, as he fell to an astounding catch by David Warner in slips off Lyon for 77. Ben Stokes then took on the mantle of leading the charge and found an able ally in Jonny Bairstow, who made 36.
However, Bairstow, Buttler, and Woakes fell in quick succession, leaving Stokes to take England home in the company of tail-enders. Archer made 15, while Broad fell for a duck. In came Jack Leach with England looking down the barrel on 286/9. Stokes shifted into the fifth gear and took on the bowlers, hitting eight sixes in total, with 74 runs coming in last 42 balls after the fall of 9th wicket.
Australian captain Tim Paine looked out of sorts, as a catch was dropped, and a review wasted, to say the least, which came back to bite them, as Stokes would have been out on an LBW appeal by Lyon, which was turned down. Josh Hazlewood was the pick of Australian bowlers with 4/85 and 9 wickets in the match.
Stokes made this Test his own, as he careened Pat Cummins short ball through the off-side, as England won the match with one wicket in hand and completed a brilliant Test match. The Ashes 2019 stays alive with series 1-1 and two Tests to go.
The Indian cricket fraternity was astonished by probably one of the best modern Test matches which saw an amazing performance by a great all-rounder in Ben Stokes. They took to Twitter and congratulated the England team and Stokes on their amazing win.
Here are the tweets:
