Former England cricketer Nasser Hussain showered praise on Ben Stokes, the current Test captain of England, after the left-hander played an innings for the ages. Stokes, with his 155-run knock, gave Australia a massive scare on fifth day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s. Hussain, considering Stokes the most competitive cricketer in his era, hailed his innings as truly remarkable. However, despite Stokes’ heroics, England fell short by 43 runs against Australia. They were chasing a target of 371 but were eventually bowled out for 327 on the fifth and final day of the Test.
Stokes resumed his innings on 29 and then went on to launch an incredible counter-attack, smashing nine fours and as many sixes. His aggressive play mirrored his memorable performance at Headingley in 2019. However, Stokes was dismissed when England needed only 70 runs more to win, allowing Australia to secure victory comfortably.
Hussain, in his column for Daily Mail, was full of praise for Stokes and was in awe of his commitment and dedication to the England team. Hussain declared Stokes as the finest cricketer in such crucial situations, highlighting his consistent match-winning performances in significant encounters like the World Cup final, World Twenty20 final, and the Headingley Test.
“Ben Stokes showed his colleagues in the dressing room what playing for his England team is all about on Sunday - and there is no better cricketer in my era in that kind of situation. Ask me who I would want to be at the crease from the past 30 years and it would be Stokes,” Hussain wrote in his column.
Comparison with Sir Vivian Richards
England began their second innings on the fifth day with a score of 114/4. Stokes and Ben Duckett, who was unbeaten on 50 overnight, were defiant and kept the Australian attack at bay. However, Duckett fell victim to a short-pitched delivery once again, departing for 83. Stokes initially played cautiously but was spurred on by Jonny Bairstow's debatable stumping decision.
Hussain emphasised his unparalleled competitiveness and ability to consistently strike the ball well even under intense pressure.
“I haven't seen a more competitive England cricketer in my time than Stokes and it’s amazing too how often he gets the ball out of the middle of the bat in these kinds of situations when all the fielders are on the rope. If he doesn’t clear them, he gets it in the gaps,” Hussain further wrote.
Hussain claimed that Australia lost control during the phase when Stokes launched his aggressive assault. He wrote that the tactic of protecting the boundary, which typically restricts scoring, proved ineffective against Stokes, similar to the situation witnessed in the Leeds Test four years ago.
Paying the highest compliment to Stokes, Hussain likened his batting prowess to that of the legendary Sir Viv Richards.
