Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have revolutionised the previous method of playing Test cricket. There have been instances of players adopting an aggressive style of play, such as Virender Sehwag, Adam Gilchrist, and Chris Gayle, but in the current England squad, it appears that every player has adopted the philosophy, and it is generating results for the national team.
In the meantime, it’s not just batting; Stokes has made some bold decisions as captain and is making a difference. On the third day of the first Ashes Test, for instance, the all-rounder set a pitch so unconventional that Ricky Ponting stated he had never seen anything like it in the history of the game. Usman Khawaja, who was looking extremely threatening with the bat, was forced to return to the pavilion after accumulating 141 runs.
Ricky Ponting praised Stokes for his deft leadership, stating that he is revolutionising Test cricket and making a difference. He also discussed England’s positive attitude under the leadership of Stokes.
“It’s difficult to keep up with all of his substitutions, which is a wonderful sign of proactive captaincy. He looks for any small opportunity to take a wicket and alter the game’s flow. It is not something you see every day. And that’s a sign of what’s to come, but it’s also an indication of the current England team’s attitude shift,” Ponting told the ICC.
“There was much discussion about ‘will Bazball stand up?'” Will they have the courage to perform in this manner against the Australians? I believe this issue has been satisfactorily answered. This bold new approach to Test match cricket attempts to make bold decisions at any juncture of the game where they can,” the 48-year-old added.
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