'Back to his best': Joe Root highlights Ben Stokes's endurance
What's the story
Ben Stokes led England to a thrilling and dramatic 22-run victory over India in the 3rd Test at Lord's. Stokes, who was adjudged the Player of the Match, bowled lengthy spells on Day 5, helping England defend 192. This has prompted veteran batter Joe Root to praise his remarkable resilience and endurance as a leader. England now lead the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-1, with wins at Headingley and Lord's.
Physical strain
Stokes bowls 44 overs at Lord's
Stokes endured a massive physical toll, bowling 44 overs in total at Lord's. This included two grueling spells of nearly 10 overs on Day 5. These are the third-most overs bowled by him in a Test, as per ESPNcricinfo. And he did so after recovering from multiple hamstring injuries. Root admitted he was worried about Stokes pushing himself too hard, but now realizes that Stokes knows his body best.
Leadership challenges
Root recalls how he tried to stop Stokes
Root, who was Stokes's predecessor in Tests, said he tried to stop the all-rounder from overextending himself for five years. Speaking to BBC, he said, "You can try, but it doesn't make any difference. I tried for five years. I mentioned it but he doesn't always listen to me. He didn't listen to me when I was captain!"
Drive
'Stokes desperate to make things happen'
Root also spoke about Stokes's unmatched drive to win. "It was an incredible effort to be able to do that, but that's just how he's built, I guess. He's just desperate to be the man and make things happen," he added. "It's a great sign for us moving forward, it really is, because that's back to his best. He's got that mentality and that desire to win games and we're lucky to have him as our leader."
Performance
Stokes shines at Lord's
As mentioned, Stokes was adjudged the Player of the Match for his stellar performance at Lord's, which included knocks of 44 (110) and 33 (96). He also took five wickets across the two innings. Stokes won his fourth player-of-the-match award at Lord's, the most for a player in Tests here, as per Cricbuzz. On Day 5, Stokes completed his 50th Test wicket against India. As per ESPNcricinfo, he became the fourth player with 50 wickets and 1,000 runs against India.