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[VIDEO] Have you ever seen a better Test innings than Ben Stokes' 135* at Headingley?

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moghul

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In the morning I just wanted to check the score, ended up watching the whole match today, and what I saw will remember for rest of my life.
THE best test inning I have ever seen, I'm sure most will say the same for themselves.
 
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Definitely better than Lara's innings against Australia .

There is more pressure in Ashes Series and England were 1-0 down so taking everything into context , this innings is slightly better than Pereras 153* imo.
 
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For me it's between VVS Laxman's vs Australia and this one.
 
And the crowd's involvement , where every single ball was cheered and clapped was unbelievable.
 
Top inning but was lucky. Dropped, many deliveries JUST cleariy the boundary and what was umpire thinking when Lyon had him plumb at the end? Was clearly out. Once again England get out of jail due to poor umpiring
 
I was brought up on stories of “Barnacle Bailey” batting for hours to save Ashes Tests.

Ben Stokes scored 2 off 60 balls last night, then finished the Test by scoring 74 not out off 45 deliveries for the last wicket!

Superb defence combined with great match awareness and a refusal to be beaten.

It has been one of the great privileges of my life to watch this innings.
 
every such inns, in the moments just after they have been played would seem the greatest for fans.
This is one of those definitely among an elite few like VVS' 281, Kusal pereira's 100+, Lara's 153* etc etc
 
On reaching his century, Stokes did not even raise his bat to acknowledge crowd;s applause, he wouldn't care about his century, winning the match was the only thing in his mind.
 
Junaids said:
I was brought up on stories of “Barnacle Bailey” batting for hours to save Ashes Tests.

Ben Stokes scored 2 off 60 balls last night, then finished the Test by scoring 74 not out off 45 deliveries for the last wicket!

Superb defence combined with great match awareness and a refusal to be beaten.

It has been one of the great privileges of my life to watch this innings.
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this!

Many players would had failed because they lack the hitting ability in test, but stokes was able to shift gears and knew that to finish this off he had to hit it.
 
Best innings in the history of test cricket.

Lara's 153 is the closest innings in terms of pressure, occasion and quality of the bowling attack, but I'd give it to Stokes for the fact that there were three distinct facets to this innings: obdurate dead batting last evening, proper test match batsmanship during the morning session, and aggressive T20 style hitting in that last wicket partnership. You had the whole package. Utterly, utterly brilliant.

Those stating Perera's innings was better don't understand cricket or life. Perera's innings was brilliant but played in an empty stadium where there was no real pressure on Sri Lanka to win the test.
 
GOAT inning.

Gets bracketed alongside some of other legendary ones.

Winning your team a match from an impossible situation! Well done, Stokes!
 
moghul said:
On reaching his century, Stokes did not even raise his bat to acknowledge crowd;s applause, he wouldn't care about his century, winning the match was the only thing in his mind.
Click to expand...

Put Imam in this position, he'd be parading around the field. Different level, different mentality.
 
Perera or stokes
Given the ashes were on the line, makes me think stokes is better,
But Perera was away from home and a chanceless knock, whereas stokes had some luck

I think you need a couple of days reflection before making up ur mind
 
Gooch In 1991 against WI.

But the great thing here is that Stokes started so slow and got faster and faster.
 
Perera's is better, Ben got lucky near the end there.

Stokes should have been out in the end with that LBW, but he still scored almost all of his runs through his pure skill, so its still a great innings but not the best.

It was just a lucky win for England, such an easy run out chance missed as well, resulting in this innings being lauded.
 
He was on 3 off 74 balls before his first boundary.

The discipline required to pull off such a knock is incredible.
 
Brian Lara's knock was slightly better, as it came against a better bowling attack (McGrath and Warne). But this one has to be the second-best ever, one hell of a knock.
 
I have had the fortune of watching quite a few great innings.

Tendulkars devastation of Warne at chennai

Lara's 153.

Stand out among them. But the only innings i will put over this one by Stokes is

281 of VVS againist arguably the greatest team of our times.
 
One of the best innings I've watched

This innings has proven me wrong about Ben Stokes, he's an ATG quality player.

P.S: Before making this the very best knock. Keep in mind that he was playing on his home conditions also.
 
Great innings.

Certainly the best I’ve ever seen in a pressure situation.
 
Definitely one of the greatest innings...but helped by poor umpiring...that was a plumb lbw
 
Ben Stokes says ‘he never gave up’ in batting heroics to keep Ashes alive

There are jaw-dropping performances in sport and then there is the one that Ben Stokes served up at Headingley on Sunday.

When all hope seemed lost, and with it the Ashes, England’s talismanic all-rounder held his nerve with an unbeaten 135 that sealed a thrilling one-wicket win over Australia and one of the most remarkable heists in cricket history.

Set an improbable 359 to win and reeling from a paltry 67 all out in their first innings, Joe Root’s side had battled bravely in the chase. But they still looked dead and buried when Jack Leach, the bespectacled No11, joined Stokes with 73 more runs required. Lose and Australia would retain the urn.

But Stokes, already England’s man of the summer after the World Cup final heroics that saw him dubbed a “superhuman” by Eoin Morgan, donned the red cape once more with an astonishing blitz.

His partner held firm and the tourists ultimately cracked under pressure such that, against the odds, the Ashes are now level at 1-1 going into next week’s fourth Test in Manchester.

“I never gave up,” said Stokes, who was the first man in the ground to know the game was won when the ball flew off his flaming bat and raced to the cover boundary. “Walking off there at the end when the whole of Headingley was standing up and celebrating was a very special moment and something I had to try to take. Moments like that don’t come along very often. It was just an amazing game to be a part of. To be there at the end and still keep our Ashes hopes alive was a pretty special feeling.”

Root described Stokes as a “freak” after the close and did not feel hyperbolic. When asked if there was anything Stokes could not do, the England captain replied: “His handwriting is terrible, his language isn’t great either ... but no, at the minute he seems to be able to do anything.”

This was the highest successful run-chase in England’s history and the first time in 131 years that a side has been bowled out for such a lowly first-innings score and gone on to win. But Stokes insisted afterwards “it takes two to tango” amid strong praise for the resolve of Leach.

The Somerset spinner made 92 as a nightwatchman against Ireland this summer but his senior partner described his innings of one from 17 balls as “the most important” he will play in his career. It was not without drama, though, with Leach nearly run out looking for a single when England needed two to win, only for Nathan Lyon to fumble at the bowler’s stumps.

“I think Jack Leach must have been watching Monty Panesar at Cardiff in 2009,” said Stokes, citing another day of heroics from a No11. “Nine times out of ten Nathan Lyon would pick that ball up and take the stumps off. Players are under such pressure in crucial moments, especially at the highest level with what is on the line.”

The very next ball Stokes survived an lbw shout from Lyon that was shown to be out by technology. But with the umpire, Joel Wilson, unmoved and Australia burning their last review the over before, fortune was on England’s side. “It shows how crucial it is to make sure you use your reviews [properly],” said Stokes, who felt the Hawk-Eye simulation was wrong anyway.

Stokes, who began the day on two after blocking out 50 balls the previous evening, had been Herculean from the moment he gifted his wicket in England’s first innings, in effect sending down 24 overs in one spell across two days.

Asked about the fuel for his performances, Stokes replied: “My wife and kids arrived at 10pm [on day two] and walked into me eating pasta in my boxer shorts. Last night I think had a knock-off Nando’s and two bars of Yorkie biscuit and raisin. And a couple of coffees this morning.”

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/aug/25/ben-stokes-ashes-cricket
 
Stokes is world class, he would hav won the sri lanka game at the world cup had Wood didnt get out.

He is englands best player.
 
I think there have been several inns like these. This inns has a speciality that it came in winning in the 4rth inns .Similarly there have been several inns that have their own specialities.

For instance Kapil's inns of 129(180) in SAF when match was almost lost at 31/6 in the 3rd inns facing a deficit of 63 against Donald,Shultz,Mathews & Mcmillain in a team total of 215 was a great inns. So was his 100*(95) in the 3rd inns of a test in Windies vs Marshal,Roberts,Holding & Garner to save the test.Similarly Botham's ashes test score of 149* that completely turned around that series... Like wise , if dig deeper quite a few such inns with specialities in one way or the other can be traced out.
 
Funny cause I told someone he is there best batsmen. I guess I was right.
 
Its between k.peraras 153* and stokes 135*. SA pace attack in SA is never easy for any asian side, so i will give pareras inning and edge because it was away game for Sri lanka.
Stokes had an advantage of home and had some chances too.
 
It was the complete Test innings.
He started with solid defence, 2 off 70 balls, didn’t give a sniff of a chance for the vast majority of his vigil, and accelerated gradually throughout the fourth day - until he went into sixth gear in the final hour and hit everything to the boundary. He was so in the zone that he did not acknowledge his ton coming up. His reverse sweep for six was a mindblowing, implausible, demoralising and brilliant signature shot to bring the target below 50. His shepherding of the tailenders was also expert. He hit the winning runs, he was unbeaten at the end. He essentially won the match on his own. The atmosphere was a cauldron, the Ashes hung by a thread and the pressure was immense. Australia have a legitimately good bowling attack as well.
It’s the best ever.
 
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It has to be.

Difficult chase, world-class bowling attack, wickets tumbling, packed house, and the entire series on the line. I mean what more do you want from an innings?

He played every shot in the book with skill while shifting from defensive to attacking cricket.

This is the GOAT test innings. Simple as that.
 
It was some very impressive striking by Benjamin but no way can you call it the best innings when the umpire played the spoilsport in the penultimate over. Kusal Perrera's was better and an almost faultless innings.
 
the determination on part of stokes was just amazing .... it was an abs gem of an innings ... it was destined to be England's day ... fortune favours the brave, got lucky 4/5 times but then thts all abt taking the pressure.. Aus was on the losing side bcz they just couldnt take pressure well enough... Tim Pane should be killing himself for tht stupid review, Lyon for tht missed runout, Warner and Marcus for those drop catches of consec balls, run out missed bcz of throw at wrong end... just that kinda a day
 
Perera and Stokes both have played equally outstanding knocks. Let's stop devaluing one or the other, for personal satisfaction.

Test cricket has seen some good times in recent years, and long may that continue.
 
Great innings , took a lot of heart & determination not to mention immense skill to see his side home .

Best of all time ? Not in my opinion because there have been so many in over a 100 years & it’s difficult to place one over another.

Younis 172 chasing down a higher score v Lanka was a thing of pure class , one of many great test innings in history
 
Best ever in the Ashes probably.

I would go for the Kusal Perera knock because of the simple facts that it was away from home and he wasn't gifted half a dozen chances by SA.

This knock is legendary no doubt, but Aus did their best to serve it up to him on a platter after giving him so many chances.
 
Personally this is one of the top 5. People knuckle down and play a great gritty innings. Never seen anyone hitting sixes for fun in crunch situation that too in Tests. Last i saw something like this in 4th innings was when Astle was going after England in an improbable chase. When the 9th wicket fell NZ score was 333 chasing 550. Cairs and Astle added 118 in 10.5 overs ending up with 451 runs

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-1st-test-england-tour-of-new-zealand-2001-02
 
Here is one common thing. When you chase in 4th innings if you play tentatively you are more likely to get out. Batsmen who took chances always pulled off the miracle.

Gilchrist 149 vs Pakistan
Richards 61 vs India (they chased 132 in 24 overs as that is all they had)
Sehawag 83
Perera 153
Stokes 135
 
Stokes knock was close to the perfect test innings.His knock had 2 Phases.The first one was where he revealed I resolute defence and survived like a boulder.The 2 nd one was where he unleashed a blitzkreig at a depth rarely seen in test cricket.Stokes illustrated the wizardry of a magician with the grammar of a professor and determination of a soldier.He possesses an attacking stroke for every kind of delivery creating the impact of gunpowder exploding.Still Perera innings versus South Africa would rate glahead as he scored a greater proportion of team runs that too overseas playing for an underdog team as well as Lara's 153 as he faced better bowling and played on a more difficult track scoring over half of the team total.Forcpure audacity of strokplay even Botham 149 n.o in 1981 Ashes may marginally nose ahead .Still probably amongst the 10 best test innings of all and 3. Best in a run chase.
 
It is proof of how much the One day International cricket has contributed to the development of batting in test cricket taking imaginative attacking strokplay to another dimension.Stokes innings had every ingredient of the perfect innings blending the attacking instinct and power of a boxer or swordsman with the organisation and skill of an architect or surgeon and imagination or vision of a painter.One was reminded of a ressurection in an army batallion on the verge of certain defeat because of a commander leading them out of the depths of despair.It was not just the brute power that one it but application of scientific stroke play .Above all it revealed mental tenacity in sport in the regions of divinity.
 
moghul said:
On reaching his century, Stokes did not even raise his bat to acknowledge crowd;s applause, he wouldn't care about his century, winning the match was the only thing in his mind.
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Asian players and in particular Pakistani players can learn a lot in this aspect.
 
Why is it every time someone scores a great knock, we need to question about how great it is ? Just enjoy it for what it is. It’s a great knock.
 
All the people undermining Perera’s innings in context should realize it was played away from home at SA soil while Stokes played the innings at home. Yes there was not as much pressure on Parera but still that innings was amazing.
 
Titan24 said:
All the people undermining Perera’s innings in context should realize it was played away from home at SA soil while Stokes played the innings at home. Yes there was not as much pressure on Parera but still that innings was amazing.
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Yep its hard to separate both innings. Perera's innings was special because subcontinent batsman mostly struggle in SA, which made the innings more incredible.

Stokes' innings was played under more pressure undoubtedly, but Perera played his knock away from home.
 
Laxman comes to mind. But I find it impossible to separate the two, t say this or that is better.
 
Those who were trying to take a dump on Stokes early on in his career with "overrated, let's deep dive and deep dish into his stats" and "Shakib is better" need to hang their head in shame.

Best test innings I've seen live.
 
cricketjoshila said:
I have had the fortune of watching quite a few great innings.

Tendulkars devastation of Warne at chennai

Lara's 153.

Stand out among them. But the only innings i will put over this one by Stokes is

281 of VVS againist arguably the greatest team of our times.
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Lmao @ Tendulkar.

Tendulkar gives 10 chances couldn't play a back against the wall innings like this to save his life.

Will be remembered in history for most centuries of all time, nothing more nothing less.
 
Suleiman said:
Lmao @ Tendulkar.

Tendulkar gives 10 chances couldn't play a back against the wall innings like this to save his life.

Will be remembered in history for most centuries of all time, nothing more nothing less.
Click to expand...

Dude. As a 17 year old. He saved the test for India with a brilliant maiden century. He made 68 & 119*. India was struggling at 183/6 chasing 408 in 4th innings.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-vs-india-2nd-test-india-tour-of-england-1990


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPFvIA7S2j4
 
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Kushal's 153 was better as it was
1. a flawless innings
2. Away from home
I will always rate away innings higher because it's just 200% more difficult. I've no doubt if an english/aussie player played such innings in subcontinent, it would've been hailed as undisputed goat innings
 
Not taking away anything from Stokes but Perera’s was better. South Africa is the hardest place to bat specially for Asian batsmen.

VVS’s remains the GOAT inning of all times.
 
ishtiaq_ctg said:
Kushal's 153 was better as it was
1. a flawless innings
2. Away from home
I will always rate away innings higher because it's just 200% more difficult. I've no doubt if an english/aussie player played such innings in subcontinent, it would've been hailed as undisputed goat innings
Click to expand...

Without a doubt. Rabada in SA is a different proposition.
 
ishtiaq_ctg said:
Kushal's 153 was better as it was
1. a flawless innings
2. Away from home
I will always rate away innings higher because it's just 200% more difficult. I've no doubt if an english/aussie player played such innings in subcontinent, it would've been hailed as undisputed goat innings
Click to expand...

The_Odd_One said:
Not taking away anything from Stokes but Perera’s was better. South Africa is the hardest place to bat specially for Asian batsmen.

VVS’s remains the GOAT inning of all times.
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I disagree.

Perera's innings was played in the 1st test.

Stokes played his with the entire Ashes on the line. The pressure is incomparable. This is the biggest series of them all and he was the last man standing between Australia and the urn.

That's special.

Of course, Perera's innings was class and I'm not taking anything away from his legendary performance.
 
kingusama92 said:
I disagree.

Perera's innings was played in the 1st test.

Stokes played his with the entire Ashes on the line. The pressure is incomparable. This is the biggest series of them all and he was the last man standing between Australia and the urn.

That's special.

Of course, Perera's innings was class and I'm not taking anything away from his legendary performance.
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SL became the first Asian side to EVER win a test series in SA on the back of Perera's knock. If there was ever a historic test knock, that was it. Ashes hype is probably clouding your better judgement :)

Stoke's knock comes second easily to Perera for me...
 
Dead Ball said:
SL became the first Asian side to EVER win a test series in SA on the back of Perera's knock. If there was ever a historic test knock, that was it. Ashes hype is probably clouding your better judgement :)

Stoke's knock comes second easily to Perera for me...
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That's because we know the result.

When Perera was batting, he didn't have the entire series weighing down on his shoulders. If he got out, there would be a tomorrow because the series had just begun.

Stokes didn't get that privilege. It was win or lose everything.

That should hold weight in this type of comparison.
 
While Nathan Lyon is the first to put his hand up for the heartbreaking loss in last year's third Ashes Test at Headingley, he has pointed to a pivotal moment on day two which could have seen Australia put the result beyond doubt.

After being sent in and bowled out for 179 inside 53 overs on day one, Australia's high-octane pace attack humbled England the following morning, dismissing the hosts for a paltry 67 to take a commanding 112-run first-innings lead.

But by stumps on day two, the match was still up for grabs. Australia had lost 6-171 by the close of play, before adding a further 75 runs on day three to be bowled out for 246 and set England 359 to win.

What followed was one of the most gripping run chases in the 142-year history of Test match cricket, with England's talisman allrounder Ben Stokes striking an incredible century to seal victory by just one wicket.

Australia had their chances to win on that fourth and final day – dropped catches, bad referrals and a fumbled run-out opportunity by Lyon – but before that, Australia's inability to dig in, bat big and pile on the runs in their second innings that let England back into the match.

"In my eyes this is where we let the game slip," Lyon said on the latest episode of The Unplayable Podcast's Ashes Revisited series.

"I know, obviously, I missed a run-out and we had many chances so it's quite easy for me to sit here and say that, but you look at the third innings of the game … our lead was 112, we should have absolutely batted our arses off and buried the game even deeper.

"We missed a trick.

"If (only) we somehow showed more discipline or found a way to fight harder in (that) situation.

"When the roles have been reversed, when we bowl a side out and they have a lead of 100-plus, they bat and they bat and they bat and make us bowl and bowl and get them out, not give us wickets.

"I think that's a big learning curve for us and (something) we can get better at and even when conditions are hard that we really show some big Aussie fight to really put the game away."

Revisiting the Leeds Test alongside Lyon was fast bowler Pat Cummins, who echoed his teammate's sentiments.

"I'll back up what Gaz (Lyon) said there," Cummins said.

"That's the best time to bat, day three or so, bat long, get a big lead and really take the game away from (the opposition)."

Marnus Labuschagne, playing his second Test of the series after becoming Test cricket's first concussion substitute in the preceding match at Lord's, was the only player to pass 33 in Australia second innings.

His 80 was the backbone of an unstable Australian second innings, and as disappointing as the batting performance was, England were still made to chase a record-breaking target to level the series at 1-1.

"I thought it was enough," said Lyon.

"You look at our bowling squad, I'd be disappointed if teams would be able to chase that down considering how much time we had to bowl guys out as well.

"But somedays, people just have days out and obviously Ben Stokes' second innings was absolutely incredible."

Cummins added: "On those wickets, with our bowling attack, I thought if we bowled to our potential they would need to do something pretty special to get over 300."

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/pat...hes-test-stokes-unplayable-podcast/2020-08-19
 
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VVS 281 for me, flawless as you could get and against the greatest side of all-time.

Brian Lara and Ben Stokes survived a few chances while Perera's inning was flawless but against Rabad and an ageing Philander.
 
Faf's inning at Adelaide is also right up there. These were the wins or draw from impossible scenarios.
 
Nah, Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins are trying to cover their own backsides in that interview.

You should be defending a lead of 360+ more often than not. Australia had chances but screwed it up with poor captaincy, a bad LBW review for a ball pitching well outside legstump, and of course the missed run out.
 
Pietersen’s ton against SA in 2012. He looked so angry. Nearly knocked Steyn’s head off with one drive.
 
Hafeez’s double century v Bangladesh some years ago was a fine innings too, apart from the fact that Bangladesh scored nearly 900 runs in the same test match across both their innings and at one point in their 2nd innings were 300-1 , so might have been a flat batting wicket I reckon.
 
Majid Khan said:
Hafeez’s double century v Bangladesh some years ago was a fine innings too, apart from the fact that Bangladesh scored nearly 900 runs in the same test match across both their innings and at one point in their 2nd innings were 300-1 , so might have been a flat batting wicket I reckon.
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A magical innings that sadly very few remembers :))
 
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