At the third One-Day International against New Zealand on September 13 at London’s Kennington Oval, star England batsman Ben Stokes struck a mind-blowing century in just 76 deliveries.
Tom Latham, the captain of New Zealand, decided to bowl first. Trent Boult’s amazing early double strike resulted in Jonny Bairstow being out for a golden duck on the first ball and Joe Root being out in the third over. Cricket fans were on the edge of their seats during this enthralling match.
In a cricketing fairy tale, Ben Stokes returned to the crease with England in trouble at 13/2 after just 2.4 overs. He took charge with deft strokes, battling bowlers to produce his fourth ODI century in the 30th over.
Stokes raised his bat in response to the applause, took a moment to reflect, and then looked up to the sky in celebration of not just a century but also an incredible recovery.
Ben Stokes on reversing his decision to retire from ODIs: “There wasn’t any pressure put on me to make a decision quickly.”
Ben Stokes recently spoke with BBC Sport about his journey to an ODI comeback, stressing that he felt no pressure from others. He emphasized his eagerness to take part in a subsequent World Cup, demonstrating his tenacity and an unshakable dedication to the game of cricket.
Ben Stokes; “The nice thing was there wasn’t any pressure put on me to make a decision quickly. Having a chance to play in another World Cup is great, but going there as world champions and trying to retain it is something that was quite appealing to me” an article from sportskeeda.com shared.
In crucial situations, Stokes won the Player of the Match award at both the 2019 ODI World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup finals. His arrival in the English team is a game-changer with the major event in India approaching.
Stokes’ track record of delivering when it counts makes him a powerful weapon and increases England’s prospects of recapturing cricketing glory. Fans and experts alike are filled with anticipation because of his presence.
The photo above is from Instagram