SA Vs ENG | Ben Stokes' bowling a bit like Courtney Walsh, asserts Nasser Hussain

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Former England captain Nasser Hussain has lauded Ben Stokes, saying his bowling resembled that of West Indies great Courtney Walsh during the three-wicket burst in the second innings. Stokes' all-round performance helped England seal a series-levelling win against South Africa in Newlands.

England all-rounder Ben Stokes’ crucial performance both with bat and ball helped England stay alive in the series. Stokes scored 47 and 72 with the bat and also scalped three wickets to ensure England’s 189-run win over South Africa in Cape Town. Stokes was named the man of the match for his outstanding all-round display and Hussain singled out the 28-year-old for special praise.

“I could not believe the first of his three-wicket burst that won England the game was his first bowling success of the Test. When it reverse swings, as it did here after tea, Stokes becomes a real handful,” Hussain wrote in his column for the Daily Mail.

“His bowling on Tuesday was a bit like Courtney Walsh’s. He leans a little wide of the crease and it looks like the ball is coming in from there, but at the last moment it straightens and batsman after batsman was forced into nicking off,” he added.

The former England skipper also praised captain Joe Root for the way he led the team in Cape Town. Root led England to their first Test victory at the venue in over 63 years.

“That was Joe Root’s best game as England captain. The way he led, the moves he made and the way his players responded in this second Test have provided him with the perfect template for the way his England Test team should play. I have said time and again that there is no way an England team including all-time greats Root, Ben Stokes, Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad should lose so many games. And when other players add to the equation by doing the right things — as happened here — then there is not much wrong with England,” he added.

The third Test of the series will start from January 16 in Port Elizabeth.

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