Ashes 2019 | Headingley Day 4 Talking Points - Ben Stokes' invincibility and Australia's DRS Disaster
After four days of utter madness, the Headingley Test fittingly ended in the most dramatic fashion possible, with Ben Stokes being at the heart of it all. It's game on in the Ashes with the scoreline reading 1-1, and all signs point towards this Test just being the tip of the iceberg.
How long can England rely on Ben Stokes’ invincibility?
The sun was shining. The pitch had flattened out. The pressure on the Aussie bowlers was mounting. The runs were ticking. Closer to the target England were edging. For a session and a while, everything had gone on better than they could have ever hoped for. Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow were in the middle of an 86-run partnership and England were 114 runs short of a historic Ashes win. All they needed to do was one thing - stay patient.
But then again, funny things tend to happen when you have the finishing line within your sights. A rank wide delivery outside the off-stump was chased by Bairstow and it eventually took the edge and carried to first slip. There were at least a dozen of those deliveries before that which he’d judged better and let go. Prior to the Jos Buttler run-out, England had batted no less 438 overs in this series without a mix-up in the middle - that changed. The nerves kicked in, the adrenaline shot up, there was a rush of blood, and they ended up doing the very things they’d refrained themselves from doing for the past day and a half.Â
Alas, all of this now gets erased thanks to the greatness of one man, but nevertheless, looking at the bigger scheme of things, it’s probably time for the rest of the English players to carry Stokes on their shoulder in the upcoming matches, for he has done the opposite for way too long now.
Time for Australia to get DRS lessons
The beauty of the Ashes lies in its unpredictability, but so far this series, we’ve had quite a few battles which have been predictable, yet fun. For instance, the battle between David Warner and Stuart Broad and the run accumulation of Steve Smith have been foregone conclusions more often than not, yet there is a part of us which tunes in any way hoping for a different outcome. One such battle is Australia and their questionable usage of DRS - something which has been evident from Day 1 of the first test - yet remains unfixed.Â
In fact, ironically, their very first dismissal of this series was actually NOT OUT, albeit Warner failed to review it. At that point of time, the decision to not review was excused as it was seen as a one-off incident, but little did anyone know that it would turn out to be a toxic pattern which might very well cost Australia the series.Â
At Lord’s, both Rory Burns and Stokes were struck plumb in front and ruled not out on-field, but Australia decided against the review. The decision to not review the latter almost cost them the match as Stokes went on to score a blistering century. Today, with one review left, Paine & co decided to “waste” it on a delivery which to the naked eye looked like it pitched miles outside leg-stump and the only way DRS would have overturned it if it had been tampered with.Â
Of course, it came back to haunt Australia, as on the very next over, Stokes was struck plumb in front and ruled not out, but thanks to the sheer stupidity of what they’d done the previous over, Australia found themselves with no reviews left. Â
This might sound like a joke, but in reality, it does feel like the Aussies need a lesson on how to use the technology properly - especially due to the ever so withering standards of umpiring.
The Man of Miracles
Almost a good three hours post the conclusion of the match, we’re still sat here wondering “How could this be possible?” “Did we witness what we just witnessed?”. Of course, the questions, the shock, the emotion, the agony, the pain, the highs and the lows are pretty similar to that of a certain day a month and a half ago - whether it’s the World Cup final or Federer vs Djokovic is open to interpretation.Â
But how can one man dare to even think of doing what he did, not once, but twice, in the span of a month? How can one man, irrespective of the format of the game, having so much pressure on his shoulders, actually take his team over the line, not once, but twice, in the span of a month? How can one man, despite seeing his teammates fold under pressure like a pack of cards, keep his composure, trust his own ability and actually have the self-belief to deliver the winning punch? How can one man, knowing that his team is one wicket away from surrendering the Ashes, have the audacity to clear the fence eight times en route to victory? Â
These questions can only be answered by the man himself, but for all we know, he is THE MAN to turn when your team is under the pump. Consider yourself lucky, really, really lucky to have this man, England!