Australia was all set to retain the Ashes but it was English all-rounder Ben Stokes who had other ideas and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the 3rd Test at Headingley to level the series 1-1 with two more Tests to go. Stokes shared a stand of 73 runs with Jack Leach for the last wicket to take the hosts to an unlikely victory. There is certainly no doubt about the fact that Stokes’ knock will be regarded as one of the greatest Test knocks ever.
Meanwhile, former Aussie pacer and the 2nd highest wicket-taker in Tests from his nation feels that it would have been a very bitter pill to swallow for the visitors after losing the previous match “Australia will take the dramatic loss by one wicket in the third Test at Headingley extremely hard. When you have chances to win the game but do not do it then it is always more difficult to take,” Glenn McGrath was quoted as saying by the BBC.
“Ben Stokes played one of the best innings I have seen but Australia will rue those missed opportunities at the end. The dropped catch by Marcus Harris at third man off Stokes when there were 17 runs needed was a tough chance — but Australia will really regret the two missed run-outs.
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“First, there was the one down to third man where the throw went to the wrong end, and then the chance when Nathan Lyon fumbled the ball. All he had to do was take it cleanly and Jack Leach would have been run out by half a pitch. Those are the things that take the wind out of you,” he added.
The former speedster stated that he gave England less than 20% chances to win the 3rd Test at the start of the final day. However, he conceded the fact that he gave the hosts a chance until Ben Stokes was at the crease. The southpaw paced his innings to perfection. He took 50 balls to score just a couple of runs but later took the Australian bowlers on the scruff of the neck and took them to an improbable victory.
“At the start of the day I gave England less than 20% chance of winning, but I always thought in the back of my mind that if Stokes was there then England would have a chance because he is such an aggressive, powerful player.
“He is a player every team in the world fears. Stokes is a brilliant batsman who can concentrate, build an innings and also be destructive when he needs to be, but he also runs in and bowls all day and is a fantastic fielder. He is easily the best all-rounder in the world and there are not too many who could have come close to doing what he did,” he said about Stokes.