Virat Kohli restated his previous comment about Ben Stokes in a highly impactful tweet.
The Australian team seemed to be on their way to a 2-0 lead when they took four quick wickets on Day 4.
Just before lunch on the final day, two more wickets fell, further solidifying Australia’s position as favorites and diminishing the possibility of a draw at Lord’s.
Ben Stokes ends a 14-year Ashes drought with a superb century in the England vs. Australia Lord’s Test
However, everything changed when Ben Stokes unleashed his skills in the final 20 minutes before lunch and the following hour.
Australia suddenly found themselves in trouble, experiencing deja vu moment from the 2019 Headingley match against England.
Although Australia eventually survived the scare and added to their Birmingham win, Stokes’s epic display captivated social media and the cricketing world.
I wasn’t joking about calling Ben Stokes the most competitive bloke I’ve played against. Innings of the highest quality but Australia is too good at the moment 👍
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) July 2, 2023
Even Virat Kohli, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, couldn’t resist commenting on Stokes’s performance in a blockbuster tweet.
Kohli emphasized that Stokes is a formidable force in fourth-innings chases in England.
He recalled the England captain’s record-breaking 155-run knock. This is the highest score by an English skipper in the Ashes in 13 years.
It was also the highest individual score by an England captain in the fourth innings of a Test match.
Despite the loss, Kohli showered praise on Stokes and reiterated his previous remark about him being the most competitive player he has ever faced.
Kohli’s tweet also included his assessment of the ongoing Ashes contest, acknowledging Australia’s dominance.
Stokes didn’t start the chase aggressively; instead, he took a cautious approach on Day 4 and formed a resilient partnership with Ben Duckett.
However, after Jonny Bairstow got dismissed, Stokes shifted gears and scored 50 runs in the final five overs before lunch. This includes three consecutive sixes off Cameron Green.
He continued his onslaught in the second session, reducing the gap to less than 100 runs almost single-handedly, with support from Stuart Broad.
Unfortunately, after Stokes’s dismissal, the rest of the batting lineup crumbled quickly, leading to Australia’s 43-run victory and a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
In summary, Ben Stokes’s extraordinary innings captured the attention of cricket fans worldwide, including Virat Kohli, who praised Stokes’s competitiveness.
Stokes’s aggressive batting propelled England’s chase but couldn’t secure a victory against Australia.
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