"Loved Ben Stokes' captaincy not just in this particular match but throughout" - Kumar Sangakkara after England lost 1st Ashes Test to Australia
Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara said that he loved Ben Stokes' captaincy despite England losing the first Ashes Test to Australia by two wickets at Edgbaston in Birmingham.
England continued to play their aggressive brand of cricket under Stokes and Brendon McCullum. It was evident as they declared at 393/8 in the final hour of Day 1. The hosts set Australia for a defendable target of 281 in the second innings.
Stokes employed some intense and peculiar field placements against Australia, particularly the one set for Usman Khawaja's dismissal on Day 3. However, England failed to pick 10 wickets in the last innings with Australia scripting a come-from-behind win after being reduced to 227 for 8.
Speaking to Sky Sports on Ashes Podcast, Sangakkara was effusive in his praise for Stokes even though England went 1-0 down in the five-Test series. He said:
"Ben Stokes is free-flowing, he is expressive, he doesn't let the game drift. But how he and McCullum kind of meet their minds and settle on tactics is why it's so attractive out there. And that partnership has paid dividends to England."
He added:
"I loved Stokes' captaincy not just in this particular match but throughout. Stokes especially should be very proud and very happy the way they played."
Sangakkara also mentioned that Ben Stokes will be disappointed with the result, but supported England's Bazball ideology. He opined:
"He'll be disappointed but quite satisfied as well. The performance they put in was incredible. We always think that it's impulsive cricket that England plays now like very free-flowing. But there is a lot of plan that goes behind the scenes."
"It's mad how things go around, isn't it?”
Four years ago, Nathan Lyon’s fumble allowed Ben Stokes to triumph in an #Ashes epic. At Edgbaston, roles were reversed https://t.co/mZINdAFOoF
"It did prove costly in many ways" - Eoin Morgan on Ben Stokes delaying second new ball
The second new ball was available for England after Ben Stokes bowled the 80th over of the Australian innings on Day 5. In a surprising move, Stokes refused to take the new ball immediately in order to persist with Joe Root's off-spin.
Root got the better of Australia gloveman Alex Carey with a sharp one-handed return catch. Stokes availed the new ball only five overs after they were allowed for it. Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson bowled in tandem in a bid to pick the final two wickets but Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon were too good with their defense.
There were a few moments when Broad and Robinson beat the edge of the Australian pair. Explaining why Ben Stokes didn't opt for the new ball earlier, former England white-ball captain Eoin Morgan said:
"It's probably Ben's biggest attributes. He doesn't mind taking advice on board from his senior players (on discussion with Broad and Anderson) and almost a brain's trust."
He added:
"Constantly taking in information, debating whether or not that was the time to take the new ball. It proved very profitable (with) Joe Root taking the wicket of Carey. We saw with our own eyes why they were digressing over that decision because the new ball just skidded on."
Morgan said the decision was appropriate even though it backfired for England at the end of the game. He stated:
"It did prove costly in many ways but I do think it was the right decision. The game was slipping away from them with the old ball."
England and Australia next face each other in the second Ashes Test at Lord's in London beginning June 28.