"My left knee and I were wincing"- Steven Finn recalls how Ben Stokes bowling reminded him of his knee injuries
Former England pacer Steven Finn was impressed to see Ben Stokes bowl full throttle during the first Test against West Indies at Lord's last week. He admired the England Test captain's ability to bowl long spells, especially after coming back from knee surgery.
Finn recalled his playing days and shed light on how difficult it was to make a comeback from a knee injury. Despite having multiple knee surgeries, Finn accepted that he couldn't become the bowler he was in his prime.
In his column for bbc.co.uk, Steven Finn wrote about Ben Stokes and his own injury woes.
"When the England captain was 10 overs into a spell on the evening of day two of the first Test against West Indies, my left knee and I were wincing. I had memories of me coming back from my first knee surgery, after returning home early from the Ashes series in 2017-18. In all honesty, I was never the same bowler after it," he wrote.
Steven Finn highlighted how Stokes was able to brace his front knee and get that zip through, something he himself couldn't do on his comeback from the knee surgeries he had.
Finn retired from the game in 2023 after realizing he wouldn't be able to reach the heights he once had before the 2017-18 Ashes.
Ben Stokes' bowling holds the key for England winning the Ashes in Australia: Steve Finn
Gus Atkinson picking up 12 wickets on his Test debut against the West Indies is one of the biggest takeaways for England from the first Test. However, Steven Finn feels Ben Stokes bowling full throttle is also massive, given the home Test series against India slated next summer followed by the 2025-26 Ashes Down Under.
"It is no secret that, even with the introduction of impressive bowlers such as Gus Atkinson who bowled beautifully and looked every inch a Test fast bowler at Lord’s for his 12 wickets, a fully fit Stokes holds the key to this England team fulfilling their potential and beating India in the summer of 2025 and Australia in the Ashes at the end of that year. These series usually define a captain's tenure," Finn wrote in his column.
Ben Stokes has been pretty vocal about having a bowling attack that has enough experience and pace to go Down Under and win the Ashes. The skipper bowling well is another crucial box that England would like to tick before the big test in 18 months.