Headingley is “just the start”: England captain Ben Stokes optimistic about winning Ashes series

Leeds [UK], July 10 (ANI): England skipper Ben Stokes thinks that the hosts’ tense victory in the third Ashes Test at Headingley is “just the start” of their series comeback against Australia.

Chris Woakes and Harry Brook put on an impressive display with the bat, supported by Mark Wood’s crucial contribution in the final moments of the game, leading England to a thrilling 3-wicket victory over Australia on Day 4 of the third Test at Headingley Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
After being 0-2 down in the five-match Ashes series, England made a comeback in the third Test in a blazing fashion in Leeds.

With a target of 251 on a pitch where the pacers of both teams had accounted for 27 wickets combined in the first three innings, it was not an easy chase for the hosts.

Stokes thinks that it is just the beginning of his team doing what they “need to” to win.

“I think if you look at the first two games in terms of how tight they were, getting over the line in another tight game can mentally help,” Sky Sports quoted Stokes as saying.

“So you sort of flip it round and if we didn’t win this one and it’s tight again, you sort of think ‘it’s just not meant to be’. But obviously, we’re over the moon that we won this one, it’s just the start of what we know we need to do. It doesn’t change. After the Lord’s game, before this game, before the game in Manchester, we just have to do exactly the same thing: play cricket and hopefully get the result,” he added.

In the first innings, Stokes’ performance with the bat helped his team stay in the game by scoring 80 runs off of 108 balls. He acknowledged it was a nervous wait to see if his side could cross the finish line, but he was removed for 13 runs off of just 15 balls in the second innings.

“I’m not gonna lie, I was a bit nervous at the end. I walked about 2km around the Headingley dressing room in the last half-hour, I didn’t actually watch the last 20 runs being scored. It’s a completely different place when you can’t do anything, when you can’t influence the game any more, you’re left watching and hoping things are going to go your way,” said the England skipper.

“But in terms of where the series was at before this game started the whole performance with bat, ball, field… it was just an unbelievable effort from everybody,” he added.

The fourth Test of the Ashes series between Australia and England will be played at Old Trafford in Manchester from July 19.