After defeating Australia by three wickets on Sunday at Headingley, England captain Ben Stokes is optimistic that his country can win back the Ashes. After dropping the first two Tests, England needed to win every game in the next five to reclaim the urn. The England captain asserted that he had “no doubt” going forward that they could win the series.
No side has ever come back from a 2-nil deficit to win the Ashes since the 1936–1937 Down Under series, which Don Bradman’s Australia won. Harry Brook’s 75 helped England win the game at Leeds on the fourth day of a difficult run chase, but they will need to defeat Australia at Old Trafford and Oval in the following two games to realize their hopes in the so-closely contested series.
After the game, Stokes acknowledged, “Another game that came down to the wire.” “It is good to cross the finish line and keep our aspirations alive.
In the context of the series, it is undoubtedly quite significant. We were aware that we needed to win this Test to maintain our chances of taking home the Ashes, so it’s a good victory. If you consider how close the first two games were, winning a close game can psychologically assist. It can remind you that although this is another close game, we managed to win it.
The first two weren’t in our favor. You would assume it was just not meant to be if you turned the situation around and we lost this game while it was tight once more. Although we’re certainly ecstatic about this victory, it’s only the beginning of what we know we must do.
Mark Wood, Chris Woakes, and Moeen Ali, who were added to the team for the third Test, also received praise from Stokes for their performances. We reintroduced Woody and Woakes, and it’s amazing when choices like that affect the game. What effect gamers can have and how we can use them are the two things we consider. They all did that this week, all three of those guys.
Woakes, who hadn’t featured in a Test since March 2022, contributed with six wickets in the game before lending a vital hand in the frantic run-chase in the fourth innings. Woakes finished unbeaten on 32; this included a 59-run stand with Harry Brook before a key unbeaten 24-run partnership with Wood.
Chris Woakes hasn’t played red-ball in a very long time, but Stokes said that he didn’t even consider that. He puts up a good show. Mr. Consistent is him. The game benefits greatly from having a powerful batsman at No. 8, especially when the ball is moving about in the air or off the pitch.
In the first inning, when he returned a fifer, Wood was particularly impressed with his pace. Later on, he made two amusing and useful cameos with the bat at the bottom of the order, hitting four sixes in his 16-ball stay at the wicket over two innings, and generally had fun.
The English captain stated, “It’s a tremendous benefit when you have someone who can come in and bowl 95 mph. Whether he takes wickets at one end or the other, it affects the outcome of the game. It’s wonderful to watch him grinning, running in, and throwing rockets. And when it comes to the bat, he’s a free spirit with a sharp mind. Although it doesn’t always work out, it offers you a greater opportunity. He left, knowing how he wanted to approach the game.
After being reinstated into the starting lineup to replace the injured Ollie Pope, Moeen Ali’s role wasn’t as significant. He took two wickets in the second inning, but more significantly, he was required to bat at No. 3 in the chase. The strategy didn’t go well since Mitchell Starc cleaned him up with a yorker on 5. Stokes did not lavish the all-rounder with praise, though. “Mo always wants to make a difference in the game; he told Brendon last night that he wanted to challenge them and try for No. 3 in that position. He had the impression that he could change the hierarchy.