As England’s great cricketer Ben Stokes prepares for his 100th Test match against India in Rajkot, former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has paid a heartfelt homage to the player. With only a handful of cricketers in the country’s history—Joseph Root and James Anderson among them—Stokes is about to become a member of the prestigious 100-Test club in England.
Composed by former England captain Mike Atherton, the tribute recounts an alleged meeting between Haddin and Stokes on the latter’s Test debut in Adelaide in 2013. Haddin vehemently disagreed with the story, claiming that no such incident had occurred. Stokes has come a long way, despite the criticism surrounding him. He is praised for his explosive centuries and strong leadership, especially his standout performance at Headingley during the 2019 Ashes series. Stokes’ approaching milestone is a testament to this.
I reply, ‘I’ve never heard more nonsense in my life!’ What, Ben Stokes was supposed to scare the hell out of us? I will explain what actually transpired. We initiated a fight in the middle of the wicket. There was a strategy; perhaps you can get him to notice it in your moment. In any case, he defeated me. It was a no-ball, but he took me for fifty.
As a result, I stepped back in and, as I passed Ben Stokes, I congratulated him on getting his first Test wicket, according to Brad Haddin’s statement to Fox Sports.
“So I discovered my gap. I’m retaliating against him because he’s blown up and blowing. It was extremely comical. Matt Prior remained silent throughout. According to him and Jimmy Anderson, Ben Stokes implied it. How was he going to respond? He was a little boy watching a test match. He continued, They didn’t get their facts straight there.
In Australia, England has not triumphed in a Test match since 2011.
Brad Haddin, who was on 51 when the England all-rounder removed him off a no-ball during his crucial innings of 93 during the 2013 Adelaide Test, had a fortunate escape. After David Warner’s 523 runs, Haddin became Australia’s second-highest run scorer in the Ashes series with 493 runs, helping Australia to a commanding 5-0 rout.
In contrast, the current England Test captain scored his first-ever century in Perth during that same series, kicking off a fantastic career that culminated in standout performances in the Ashes and the 2019 ODI World Cup. But as they haven’t won a Test match in Australia since 2011, it’s clear that England struggles there.
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