Ashes 2023: Ricky Ponting compared Ben Stokes to MS Dhoni, said this

Former Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting compared England Test skipper Ben Stokes’ match-winning abilities to legendary India skipper MS Dhoni. Ponting believes that Stokes handles pressure better than most captains and players active around the world at the moment.

Stokes is known for performing well in big matches across all formats. His most recent performance was in the 2023 edition of the Ashes against Australia in the second Test at Lord’s. Stokes also won the match for England by hitting a record nine sixes. (England could make big changes in must-win Ashes Test at Headingley)

Ponting said, “I think any international player is under pressure whenever he walks out to play, but Ben batting in the middle order or down the order probably finds himself winning more matches than some of the others.” finds in a position of opportunity.” Latest episode of ICC Review.

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“The first thing that comes to mind is probably someone like Dhoni, who is at the end in a lot of T20 matches and finishes the game, whereas Ben does it at the end of Test matches, and it’s not like that, maybe too many No, Ponting said, many players in the history of the game have found themselves in that kind of role and end up winning games, especially as a captain.

It was not the first time that Stokes had troubled Australia, the all-rounder had displayed similar heroics during the 2019 Ashes series in England when he scored an unbeaten 135* to seal a remarkable one-wicket win over their rivals. has helped. Leeds.

Ponting revealed that Stokes’ match-winning innings at Headingley during the thrilling final day at Lord’s four years ago was on his mind and he was relieved when Australia finally got the breakthrough, dismissing the dreaded England talisman for 155. Got it.

Ponting said in the latest episode of The ICC Review, “I thought and probably everyone thought he could do it again because we’ve seen it happen before, but it was probably a bit too many runs that he (in 2019) were following.”

“In everyone’s mind, I think once it started playing out the way it was and how many similarities there were at Headingley in 2019…Steve Smith removed him…and removed him for 116 Given Marcus Harris at Headingley, so those kind of ghosts from the past keep coming back.”

While Stokes averages just north of 36 with the bat at Test level and just over 32 with the ball, Ponting admits the star all-rounder has a remarkable ability to impact the game at that level with those modest figures. doesn’t do justice.

Ponting said, “Over the years we have judged cricketers on the basis of their numbers and their statistics, what is their average and how many wickets they have taken.”

“If you look at Ben Stokes only from that point of view, it doesn’t give him full credit for the player he is because he averages 35 (36) with the bat and 32 with the ball.”

“So these numbers alone don’t put him in the top class of players. But when you see him playing the way he did (at Lord’s) and doing some of the things he’s done for this team over a long period of time , then we have to find ways to better measure cricketers, how they impact games, how many games they can actually win because he’s an absolute match-winner, that’s for sure.”

Stokes was a match-winner for England with a restrained half-century against Pakistan in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup last year and Ponting is impressed with his ability to handle pressure and be able to adjust his game accordingly.