Australia have have survived to take a 2-0 lead in the ongoing Ashes series with a 43-run win at the iconic Lord's but the showstopper was England captain Ben Stokes, for his record 155-run knock. He singled-handedly led the late charge around the stroke Lunch, reducing the gap to well below 100 and give Australia a reminder of 2019 Headingley chase. Josh Hazlewood eventually picked the prized wicket which led to a tail-end collapse in the second session of the final day of the second Test, but knock was all social media or world cricket could talk about.
Minutes before Virat Kohli's internet-crashing tweet on Stokes' record 155, the highest ever score by an England captain in the fourth innings of a Test and first century knock by a skipper of England in the Ashes series since 2009, Ashwin made a stellar remark on the all-rounder.
“May eventually turn out to be an innings in a losing cause, but Ben Stokes and his stomach for a fight is unreal,” he tweeted moments after the England skipper departed.
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Ashwin, like most viewers, had however felt that England could possibly run away with a Headingley repeat with Stokes as the champion player. The veteran India bowler felt that a it would eventually go down to the wire but also believes that Aussies would have closed the game had Nathan Lyon, who incurred a calf injury during the match, been fit. He then offered an advice to ICC.
{{/usCountry}}Ashwin, like most viewers, had however felt that England could possibly run away with a Headingley repeat with Stokes as the champion player. The veteran India bowler felt that a it would eventually go down to the wire but also believes that Aussies would have closed the game had Nathan Lyon, who incurred a calf injury during the match, been fit. He then offered an advice to ICC.
{{/usCountry}}“Tight finish on the cards here. What a series #Ashes2023. Food for thought: Australia could have shut this game down with Nathan Lyon doing his thing from one end, it’s probably time to look at substitutions for muscle tears just like concussion subs. A like for like replacement will mean an even contest, especially for a format that lasts 5 days,” he tweeted.
Adding to their Birmingham win last month, Australia will now head to Headingley in a bid to wrap up the series next week.