“Next morning, we watched entire Stokes and Leach partnership on video” - Langer discloses unpopular method to deal with Headingley 2019 heartbreak
Former Australian coach Justin Langer has revealed that he made the entire team watch the Ben Stokes-Jack Leach partnership on video the morning after the Headingley heartbreak during Ashes 2019. Admitting that the players were not too happy with the coach’s decision, Langer asserted that he wanted the team to tackle the disappointment head-on.
England recovered from 67 all-out in the first innings of the Headingley Test in 2019 to beat Australia by one wicket in a pulsating Test match. Set to chase 359, England were nine down for 268. However, Stokes (135*) played a spectacular innings, featuring in a last-wicket stand of 76* with Leach (1*).
In his column for The Telegraph, Langer opened up on how he used unusual means to try and help the players recover from the setback.
The former batter wrote:
“After Ben Stokes’s heroics at Headingley in 2019, I clearly remember a sleepless night, not uncommon for a coach. Much to the chagrin of most of the players, the next morning we sat in the hotel boardroom and watched the entire Stokes and Jack Leach partnership on video. You could cut the air with a knife.”
Langer explained that his aim was to deal with the situation with an in-your-face attitude. He opined that his modus operandi, though unpopular, played a role in galvanizing the team.
“Where other teams might have buckled under the pressure of such a humiliating defeat, we had to wrestle the demons or the Ashes would be lost,” he added.
The Headingley triumph saw England draw level in the 2019 series. Australia won the first Test at Edgbaston by 251 runs, while the second Test at Lord’s ended in a draw.
“Best coaching week of my career” - Langer on preparations for Old Trafford
After the Headingley loss in 2019, there was no break for Australian players as the squad traveled together to Derbyshire for a practice game.
But again, several cricketers were not pleased with the coach’s move as they were keen to spend some time with their families to release some pressure. Langer, however, was adamant and had his wish.
Recalling the events, he wrote:
“That week between Headingley and retaining the Ashes at Old Trafford in 2019, was the best coaching week of my career. It wasn’t popular, leadership rarely is, but the learnings were invaluable. The reason it was unpopular with some, was that some of the players had promised to take a few days off and retreat from the pressures of the game with their families.”
Langer opined that the move to stay together after Headingley strengthened the synergy of the group. Australia went on to beat England by 185 runs to clinch the Old Trafford Test.