NEW DELHI: As England clinched the Leeds thriller on Sunday by three wickets to stay alive in the Ashes series, a confident skipper Ben Stokes after the win said his side can complete a series comeback.
Victory in the third Test at Headingley helped England cut Australia’s series lead to 2-1.
Stokes and co. are aiming to become just the second team to win a Test series from 2-0 down after the Don Bradman-inspired 1936/37 Australia side that won the Ashes.
Chasing 251 to win, England slumped to 171-6 but Harry Brook’s 75 put the hosts back in command before Chris Woakes (32 not out) and Mark Wood (16 not out) got Stokes’ men over the line.
“Yep. No hesitation,” said Stokes when asked if England can win the series.
“Another down to the wire game. It’s nice to get over the line in this one and keep our hopes alive.”
Stokes’ 155 was not enough as England fell just short in a run chase in the controversial second Test at Lord’s last week.
But he and the selectors could afford themselves a pat on the back as the three changes they made to the side paid dividends.
Woakes and Wood starred with both bat and ball, while Moeen Ali took the key wickets of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith in Australia’s second innings.
“It’s great when you make decisions like that and they have a big impact on the team,” added Stokes.
“We want people to come in and impact the game in their moment to put us in a commanding position and all three guys did that.”
The fourth Test of the series gets under way at Old Trafford in Manchester on July 19.
(With inputs from AFP)
Victory in the third Test at Headingley helped England cut Australia’s series lead to 2-1.
Stokes and co. are aiming to become just the second team to win a Test series from 2-0 down after the Don Bradman-inspired 1936/37 Australia side that won the Ashes.
Chasing 251 to win, England slumped to 171-6 but Harry Brook’s 75 put the hosts back in command before Chris Woakes (32 not out) and Mark Wood (16 not out) got Stokes’ men over the line.
“Yep. No hesitation,” said Stokes when asked if England can win the series.
“Another down to the wire game. It’s nice to get over the line in this one and keep our hopes alive.”
Stokes’ 155 was not enough as England fell just short in a run chase in the controversial second Test at Lord’s last week.
But he and the selectors could afford themselves a pat on the back as the three changes they made to the side paid dividends.
Woakes and Wood starred with both bat and ball, while Moeen Ali took the key wickets of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith in Australia’s second innings.
“It’s great when you make decisions like that and they have a big impact on the team,” added Stokes.
“We want people to come in and impact the game in their moment to put us in a commanding position and all three guys did that.”
The fourth Test of the series gets under way at Old Trafford in Manchester on July 19.
(With inputs from AFP)
