Australian seamer Josh Hazlewood imitated England captain Ben Stokes’ famous celebration from the Headingley Test in 2019 after dismissing him for 155 in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.
Twitter users were abuzz with reactions and discussions about Hazlewood’s mimicry, generating widespread attention and engagement on the social media platform.
In pursuit of an unlikely 371-run victory, Stokes unleashed a remarkable innings, smashing the Australian bowlers to all parts of the ground. Despite England finding themselves at 193-6 after losing Jonny Bairstow, Stokes gave the home crowd a glimmer of hope.
Stokes reached his century in dramatic fashion, hitting three consecutive sixes just before lunch. He then forged a remarkable 108-run partnership with Stuart Broad, propelling England to 301-6. However, Hazlewood ended English aspirations by removing Ben Stokes, dashing any chances of a miraculous win.
Subsequently, England’s batting collapsed, leading to a 43-run defeat in the second Test and a 0-2 series deficit. The match was not without controversy, with contentious moments such as the overturned catch by Mitchell Starc off Ben Duckett and Jonny Bairstow’s dismissal.
However, it was Hazlewood’s celebration after dismissing Stokes that caught the attention of social media users. The tall fast bowler mimicked Stokes’ celebration by raising both arms aloft.
Stokes had famously performed the celebration during the third Test at Headingley in 2019, where his breathtaking unbeaten 135 led England to a thrilling one-wicket victory, levelling the series at 1-1.
Some users drew comparisons between Hazlewood’s celebration and the gestures of former English all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and current Pakistani pacer Shaheen Afridi.
Here are some notable reactions:
Ben Stokes might be anyone but not a crybaby.
He is a bloke with a fearless attitude. Can never whine or cry even if something is wrong.— Syed Kumail (@videshimurgha) July 4, 2023
‘The Prime Minister agrees with Ben Stokes. He said he simply wouldn’t want to win a game in the manner Australia did.’
Thus spake Rishi Sunak, Britain's unelected Prime Minister.— The Tories Made Me German (@WyndhamWallace) July 4, 2023
Ben Stokes. #Ashes2023 pic.twitter.com/DA5zuun58k
— Sherlock (@Engineeroast) July 4, 2023
Highest 4th innings scores at No. 6 or lower.
Just Ben Stokes things 💁♂️
📸: ESPNcricinfo#BenStokes #England #ENGvsAUS #AUSvENG #TestCricket #Cricket pic.twitter.com/S2jKkWVXfF
— CricStats (@CricStatsINT) July 4, 2023
He was not out of the crease for getting a run he was going to have a word with Ben stokes as all the batters does 🙏
— Student (@crekatlover) July 4, 2023
Ben Stokes 🤣#Ashes | #ENGvAUS pic.twitter.com/Lkc5oKolrb
— Omar Faruque (@OmarFar46196492) July 4, 2023
Ben Stokes is brutal!pic.twitter.com/4G8Q5tc1UM
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 2, 2023
What is your take on this???
Like- Shameful
Retweet – Within the laws#Ashes #Ashes2023 #Ashes23 #AUSvsENG #ENGvsAUS #BenStokes #Bazball #EnglandCricket #WorldCup2023 pic.twitter.com/FP4Unn0TJX— HUSNAIN (@HUSNAINMANJ26) July 2, 2023
“Did take a lot out of Headingley but unfortunately not to be” – Ben Stokes
England skipper Ben Stokes expressed disappointment that he couldn’t replicate his heroic Headingley performance and guide his team to victory in the second Test.
Despite scoring 20 runs more than his innings in 2019, the task proved insurmountable even for the exceptional all-rounder.
Reflecting on the game, Stokes remarked, “Having experienced something similar, you are able to look back at it. Did take a lot out of Headingley but unfortunately not to be.”
“Definitely felt we had a shout, but Australia changed their plans, and that altered the situation for me. I had to take risks towards the longer side of the ground.”
Despite the setback, Stokes remained optimistic about England’s chances of winning the series despite the 0-2 deficit.
“It’s a tough one to swallow, but it was a fantastic game. We are 2-0 down, but we have three games to go. We’ve won 3-0 against Pakistan, 3-0 against NZ, so we have the belief that we can do it,” added Stokes.
However, history is not on England’s side, as no previous English team has ever come back from a 0-2 deficit to win an Ashes series. Nonetheless, Stokes and his teammates can take confidence from their recent Test performances, having triumphed in 11 of their previous 13 matches, including seven out of eight at home.
The third Test of this enthralling series is set to commence at Headingley on Thursday, July 6.
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