Ashes: Ben Stokes doubles down on declaration controversy

Ben Stokes insists he would once again declare and put Australia into bat, despite the contentious decision being a crucial element of England’s loss.

Ben Stokes looks on after Australia defeat England during Day Five of the 1st Test match. Picture: Getty Images.

Ben Stokes insists he would once again declare and put Australia into bat, even with his top batsman Joe Root in full flight, despite the contentious day one decision being a crucial element of England’s tight loss in the first Ashes test.

Stokes doubled down on his most controversial captaincy option, saying not only would he make the same call in a re-run of the Edgbaston test, but he will make the same call if a similar situation presents itself at any of the remaining four tests against Australia.

“I am a confident person who has seen that as an opportunity to pounce,’’ he said.

“No batsman likes to go out for 20 minutes before the close of play, and the way in which we played until that point allowed us to do that.

“You know I could also turn around and say if we didn’t declare would we have got that excitement at the end of day five? I am not 100 per cent sure.”

Stokes, 32, said the knife edge losing result – which he said “sucks” vindicated the aggressive and unorthodox style of the England team, which he has been pushing for over the past 12 months. He said the match, which was in the balance over the entire five days, was”a real mind game for me as captain”.

He added: “At the start there were so many questions around: would we be able to implement our type of play against this team … and I think we have proved to ourselves that we can.’’

Stokes was centre of the action in the final session, taking the crucial wicket of Usman Khawaja for 65, at a point when Australia needed 72 runs for victory.

At the time Stokes’ reactions were subdued, and the commentary box was pondering if he had injured himself, but he said afterwards that he was mentally trying to keep himself calm, recognising the game was delicately poised.

“I was absolutely flying on caffeine, and I had to keep myself pretty level. I found in that moment in the game I knew it wasn’t done,’’ he said.

“Look two three years ago, it would be the big celebration, but I knew the moment of the game … that was my time in the game to get myself on, it was a big wicket but the game wasn’t done.”

But not long after Stokes dropped a screamer of a catch at deep backward square leg that would have dismissed Nathan Lyon.

It had hallmarks of the nightmare Lyon himself experienced in 2019 test at Headingly when the spinner missed a prime chance to run out Stokes and take the match.

Stokes said he mis-sighted the ball as Lyon smacked it to his left. Lyons continued to pair with Cummins for an undefeated 55 run partnership, to win the match for Australia with two wickets in hand.

“Who knows if I did take that catch we could get Josh (Hazelwood) out first ball (to win the test), or Josh could come in and they still knock the runs off,’’ Stokes said.

“Amazing, it took me back to Headingly, and the dropped ball at stumps, it’s mad how things go around.

“It was in my hand, it didn’t manage to stick, it was hard to see it off the bat. I should’ve, could’ve, would’ve.”

Meanwhile Australian captain Pat Cummins revealed his own secret weapon to step away from the pressures of captaincy: attending a Bruce Springsteen concert on the first day of the test last Friday night.

Cummins went with his father and brother to Springsteen’s sold out three hour concert at Villa Park, enabling him to switch off from the pressure cooker atmosphere of the Barmy Army taunts in the Hollies stand.

Said Cummins: “I got there 20 minutes in, but yeah he puts on a show like he always does, the Boss. A great week.’’