If I had a sister, I would have wanted her to marry Ben Stokes: Graeme Swann

Ben Stokes is the name that is echoing in the ears and minds of all those who witnessed his all-time great innings in the third Test of the Ashes 2019 at Leeds, Headingley. Stokes single-handedly took England to a victory from a position of no hope, reminding fans of Botham’s heroics in 1981 and Andrew Flintoff’s in 2005 Ashes.

No one gave an iota of a chance to England after they were shot out for 67 in the first innings of the third Test. This became even more evident, as Australia batted brilliantly to set the home side a target of 359 runs to chase down in little over two days’ time. England started off well ending the third day on 156/3 with Joe Root on 75* and Stokes on 2*.

However, it was all Stokes on the fourth day as he found some support in Bairstow and Leach for the last wicket. Australia bowlers hit back with quick wickets in between and as Leach walked in with 70-odd runs to get, Stokes shifted gears and took apart the opposition bowlers with gay abandon. In all, he hit a record 8 sixes and took his team to a famous 1-wicket win, which helped England stay alive with series leveled at 1-1.

Graeme Swann gives the best compliment to Ben Stokes

Congratulations poured in for the England vice-captain, as his historic innings gave England an amazing win. Former England players, Stokes’ contemporaries and friends all joined in on celebrating perhaps one of the greatest Test innings of all time. Former England spinner Graeme Swann too joined in the crowd and congratulated Stokes in perhaps the most unique way.

Swann, who himself was part of England’s 2010-11 Ashes win Down Under, tweeted that if he had a sister, he would have wanted her to marry Ben Stokes. “I have no sister but if I did I’d want her to marry Ben Stokes,” Swann had tweeted while praising Ben Stokes.

Ben Stokes made quite a few records in his epic innings, as he hit the most number of sixes by any batsman in one innings in an Ashes Test, his 135* was the third-highest score in fourth-innings wins for England, his eight sixes were also the 3rd most hit by a batsman in the 4th innings of a Test match, after Nathan Astle’s 11 and Tim Southee’s 9.