Ashes 2019 | Ben Stokes is the ultimate team man, says Joe Root

Once in a while, there come generational cricketers - like Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis, Virat Kohli, Steve Smith - but very rarely do they go and actually play the kind of knock that Ben Stokes did. Just when we thought that Kusal Perera's knock earlier this year would be the greatest knock that we'd ever see, Stokes played a knock almost as good as it, if not better, to help his team stay alive in the Ashes.

Skipper Joe Root, who himself struck a valiant 77, described the all-rounder's knock as "ridiculous", while also hailing him as the ultimate team man. He also further went on to praise the leadership quality of Stokes.

"It was ridiculous, wasn't it? Ben Stokes is a freak, he's incredible. After Stokes got to 60, 70 he looked like he wasn't going to get out. To win a game on your own from there is just amazing. He does have recent experience of doing it. Just incredible to watch unfold," Root was quoted as saying by News18.

"He's the ultimate team man, will do everything for every single player - that's why he's a brilliant vice-captain. He drags people with him, so much respect in the dressing room. He stood up, that's exactly what you want from your leaders," he added.

Root also said that his men would take the confidence going into the Old Trafford Test and that he hopes for his batsmen to bat like the way they did in the second innings of the Headingley Test. 

"The win gives us a huge amount of belief in this series," Root added. "We always feel we should never give up. It is important to have faith and belief in each other," he said.

"Hopefully now we can ride that into Old Trafford (the venue for the next test), and play like the second innings and not the first. It was an incredible game of cricket, an incredible atmosphere and test cricket is alive and kicking. This Ashes is alive and kicking," he added.

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