Virat Kohli and Ben Stokes. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Indian batting great Virat Kohli heaped praise on England skipper Ben Stokes for his extraordinary innings at Lord’s, labeling him as the most competitive player he has ever played with. Kohli emphasized his previous statement about Stokes’ competitiveness and expressed admiration for his innings.
At one time, it appeared that Stokes might repeat his heroics from Headingley in 2019. However, Stokes’ spectacular innings of 155 runs went in vain as Australia defeated England by 43 runs, establishing a 2-0 lead in the Ashes 2023 series.
Following the match, former Indian skipper took to Twitter to commend Stokes, acknowledging his outstanding performance with the bat which included nine boundaries and as many sixes. While acknowledging Australia’s dominance, he said:
“I wasn’t joking when I called Ben Stokes the most competitive bloke I’ve played against. Innings of the highest quality, but Australia is currently too good,” Kohli tweeted.
I wasn’t joking about calling Ben Stokes the most competitive bloke I’ve played against. Innings of the highest quality but Australia is too good at the moment 👍
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) July 2, 2023
Stokes played an extraordinary captain’s knock on the fifth day, propelling England towards the challenging target of 371 runs set by Australia at Lord’s. He launched a fierce assault on Australian bowlers, smacking them all over the ground for fun. Assisted by Stuart Broad at the other end, Stokes rapidly reached his 13th Test century.
However, Josh Hazlewood brought an end to his innings in the 73rd over, as the English skipper’s attempted hook shot resulted in a top-edge caught safely by wicket-keeper Alex Carey. Stokes had propelled his team to within 71 runs of the target before succumbing to Hazlewood’s delivery.
During his innings, Stokes formed a crucial 108-run partnership with Stuart Broad for the seventh wicket, aggressively taking the attack to Australian bowlers after Jonny Bairstow’s unusual dismissal. Nevertheless, after Stokes’ departure, England managed to add only 27 more runs before being dismissed, falling short by 43 runs at Lord’s.
Australia’s victory secured a commanding 2-0 lead in the five-match Ashes 2023 series. The next clash between the two sides will be held at Headingley in Leeds on July 6.