ICC World Cup 2019 | It was written in the stars for Ben Stokes to win it, claims Joe Root
English Test skipper Joe Root has claimed that it was written in the stars for Ben Stokes to win the World Cup for England, after the all-rounder's heartbreak in the 2016 WT20 Final. Stokes top scored for England with 84 runs, as he guided them to their first ever World Cup victory.
Cricket is a game of fine margins, and there was no better advertisement for the sport than the World Cup final between England and New Zealand at Lord's on Sunday. After ending up with the same score in both the normal quota of 50 overs and in the super over, the teams were inseparable, but England eventually won thanks to their batsmen scoring more boundaries on the day - the single statistic which decided the final outcome.
With Ben Stokes stranded in the middle with no support from the other end, it almost felt like a repeat of England's matches against Sri Lanka and Australia in the group stages, where the all-rounder's efforts went in vain as they succumbed to defeat, inches away from a victory. It also seemed like the ghosts of the 2016 WT20 Final might come back to haunt Stokes, who back then failed to take his team over the line, as a certain Carlos Brathwaite smacked him for four consecutive sixes, snatching away the glory.
However, it wasn't to be the case on Sunday, and in a lot of ways, you can say that it was actually meant to be. Stokes' gritty knock of 84 helped England win their maiden World Cup title, and in the process, he redeemed himself for the 2016 heartbreak.
"It's almost written in the stars for Ben. He's been through a tough time, his family has been through a lot, and now to see him here, can't be more pleased for him," said an elated Joe Root, speaking to the official broadcasters after the match.
Root ended the campaign as England's highest run scorer with 549 runs, and the talisman batsman was short of words to describe his feelings, as he praised his teammates for keeping their cool and delivering the goods under pressure.
"Unbelievable! Wow! Hard to sum it up. What a tournament. The lads have done everything asked of them. We've come through difficult periods in the group stages, performed when the pressure was on," said Root, who was overwhelmed by the occasion.
After the scores got tied, it all came down to the super over, and the over was delivered by none other than Jofra Archer, who was fast-tracked into the English side and made his ODI debut just days before the World Cup started. However, the youngster kept his cool under pressure, stuck to his plan and executed his deliveries to perfection, as he defended 16 of the final over to help England claim the coveted trophy.
"I'm pretty sure I was going to bowl it [Super Over]. So I just had a double check. Heart's still racing, sorry. It's the biggest thing. It's one of the only tournaments I've ever won in my life," Archer told the official broadcaster.
"The boys started so well. It'd be really disappointing if we didn't win. Especially this man Stokes calming me down before I bowled. It's the best family," he added.
The Three Lions will now focus on their next venture - The Ashes, as they will take on arch rivals Australia at Edgbaston in the first test, which is set to commence from August 1st.