Nasser Hussain showers praises on Ben Stokes for his journey

Ben Stokes has time and again proved himself in all the various aspects of the game, be it his striking ability with the bat, his bowling that has always proved to be wicket-taking, his athletic fielding or his sharp decision-making skills while executing things on the field. In the ongoing third Test, Stokes scored a sparkling century which led England to a decent total in the first innings.

He has slowly been proving his credentials at the No.6 spot and getting increasingly effective. In an innings filled with attacking as well as cautious shots, Stokes displayed a tremendous character and grit in crafting the knock. With the way the Test match is heading, it won’t be long before it’s called a match winning one.

Stokes’ journey

His exploits have earned him accolades not only from the fans but also from the retired cricketers. Former English captain Nasser Hussain spoke about the start of his career and how he developed himself into the player he is today with time. He was highly impressed by Stokes’ performance.

Hussain in a column for Sky Sports wrote, “When he initially came into England’s Test team he was a player who liked pace on the ball, getting his first three hundred at Perth, Lord’s and Cape Town. He has been working hard in the nets on dealing with pace off the ball, being able to manoeuvre the ball better and adapting his tempo, both in limited-overs and Test-match cricket.”

It was the tour of India that helped him stamp his authority further, not only was he good with the ball picking a five-wicket haul in the sub continent but his hundred in the first Test at Rajkot also proved a point.

“Stokes’ century in Rajkot over the winter was evidence of that, as was this innings at The Oval – all you can ask of a player is to keep improving and Stokes certainly is. Ben is out there working every morning, including on his bowling as he hasn’t bowled much in red-ball cricket over the last six months – he is a genuine, world-class all-rounder who balances England perfectly,” he added.

Admiring his journey, Hussain remarked, “He is also a street fighter and someone you want to go into battle with – if it doesn’t go his way, like in the World T20 final, he will always put his hand up and ask to be put under pressure again. He’s not a shirker, he’s not a hider and he’s not someone who says: ‘That’s the way I play’. He plays the situation and by doing that he worked England up to a very decent total of 353.”