Leeds: England captain Ben Stokes reminisced about the famous victory he led in 2019 as the recent triumph on day four at Headingley brought back memories.
Stokes played a pivotal role in England's win against Australia during the Ashes series four years ago on the same ground, and the recent victory evoked similar feelings for the captain. "Headingley, day four yet again. It's some place to play cricket. I don't know what it is about the place but it seems to bring out great," Stokes told BBC.
After finding themselves 0-2 down in the five-match Ashes series, England staged a remarkable comeback in the third Test at Headingley on Sunday. Harry Brook's resilient knock of 75 set the tone for a thrilling three-wicket victory, reminiscent of Stokes' heroic unbeaten 135 that guided England to an epic Test win in 2019.
Mark Wood, who made his first Test appearance this year, was named Player of the Match for his fiery bowling performance, taking figures of 5/34 and 2/66. He also contributed valuable runs with scores of 24 off 8 balls and an unbeaten 16 off 8 balls.
In the first innings, Stokes played a crucial role with a vital 80 runs. However, in the recent match, it was Harry Brook who led the charge with a resilient 93-ball 75 during the chase. Stokes praised the young batsman for his "incredible" performance. "The way Brooky controlled the game from ball one with the bat was amazing. He went out there and put the pressure straight back on them. For such a young lad, in a high-pressure situation in an Ashes series, it was incredible. We've all seen what he can do with the bat, he's an incredibly gifted player and he's only going to get better the more pressure situations he gets put in," said the captain.
Brook, who was promoted to No.3 in the first innings, was sent in at No.5 in the second innings following a surprising decision by England to send Moeen Ali at first drop. The decision to promote Moeen Ali up the order initially appeared questionable as he was dismissed for 5, leaving England at 60 for two. However, allowing Brook to bat at his preferred number five position ultimately proved to be the right choice.
"Last night Mo (Moeen) came up to Baz (Brendon McCullum) and said, 'Let me have a go at three, I want to have a go at these guys. We thought he could have a much bigger influence on the game batting at three this innings than he would down at seven. It didn't work but I love the fact that Mo took the responsibility on his shoulders. When I took the role on, I asked for 10 other selfless cricketers and that little moment of Mo going to Baz and saying, 'I want the opportunity' is everything we're about as a team," said Stokes about reshuffling the batting order.
England's thrilling three-wicket victory has kept the series alive, although Australia still leads 2-1 with two Tests remaining. The upcoming fourth Test in Manchester, commencing on July 19, is expected to be yet another interesting match.