Ashes 2019 | Jack Leach must somehow have been watching Monty Panesar at Cardiff, says Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes is all praise for the resilience shown by Jack Leach in the final overs and likened his stay to Monty Panesar's 2009 effort at Cardiff that pulled up a great escape for England. The English all-rounder also thanked the crowd for making an electric atmosphere which motivated him further.
In English cricket, Cardiff 2009 is a hinge point for more reasons than one. When Peter Siddle dismissed Paul Collingwood for 74, after England were following on, after a brilliantly belligerent six-hour rearguard innings, the hosts were on 233 for nine and still needed six runs to make Australia bat again. Knowing very well that Monty Panesar doesn't know how to bat, all hopes were gone. But the duo of Jimmy Anderson and Panesar ensured an engrossing 69-ball alliance to help England save the Test. Leach's innings yesterday could very well be compared to that innings and Ben Stokes brought in the analogy.
"I think Jack Leach must somehow have been watching Monty Panesar at Cardiff. I could not believe when I looked up. Me and Leachy could have had a conversation, he was that close to me. He said he thought I was coming down, but I said mate, 'I was nowhere near running'," Stokes said in the post-match press conference.
"That was a huge panic situation there because he was so far out. Obviously, in that pressure situation, it can really affect what a human does. Nine times out of ten, Nathan Lyon would pick that ball up and take the stumps off. You have got to take into account the pressure he is under there to take the ball cleanly and take the stumps off," he added.
The hosts were bundled out for an embarrassing 67 in the first innings and had found themselves in dire straits in the first innings. However, Leeds crowd stood by the side for the entire duration of the game which eventually saw them topple the Aussies to keep the battle for the urn for another day. The all-rounder also appreciated the crowd for their support and stated that it motivated the side.
"It was absolutely deafening. Everywhere around the world, not just Leeds, the support we get from the Barmy Army and everybody, who turns out to watch us play, no matter what the situation of the game, they've always got us, they're always singing, the Western Terrace were absolutely fantastic, they were cheering every dot ball, every boundary.
"When there was nothing to cheer about they were cheering. I hope the fans understand how much that influences us in terms of where we are in the game. It gives you that extra drive and adrenaline to really push you through. Being tired at the end, the noise and the atmosphere gives you an extra level of adrenaline.
"You almost want to do it for them, the fact they've been here through thick and thin throughout all the years. Getting bowled out for 67 is obviously not ideal but they were still with us. To walk off at the end of the game after winning, we can show a lot of respect to the fans in terms of how good they were with us over these last three days," the Durham all-rounder added.
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