Ben Stokes may have been the driving force behind England’s rollicking win over South Africa at The Oval but for all the plaudits that followed, including a comparison with Andrew Flintoff, he maintained the result, rather than personal glory, is where he drew most satisfaction.
His mature 112 with the bat in the first innings – along with two wickets in two balls and four catches – did little to tickle the algorithms of the ICC’s all-rounder rankings. They moved Stokes only one place up to No5 in the world but with the four above him – Shakib Al-Hasan, Ravi Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin and Moeen Ali – all spinners, there is at least no question which player is the gold standard when it comes to seam bowling.
Virat Kohli, the India captain, said as much after his side’s recent victory over Sri Lanka, when he expressed his hope Hardik Pandya could one day become their answer to Stokes. Stuart Broad, speaking after Stokes had removed Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis in that game-sealing burst, was reminded of England’s last great all-rounder.
Stokes’s fifth Test century brings him level with Flintoff’s career tally after only 35 caps, while he has 17 more wickets – 86 – than the 2005 Ashes-winner at this stage of his career. However, comparisons make Stokes slightly uncomfortable.
“I’ve always said that when the comparisons started flying at me that I’m not trying to be anyone else except myself,” he said. “Some of the spells [Flintoff] produced when playing for England were amazing to watch. But I really don’t know what to say. As long as I can produce the moments for the team that swing it our way and it means we’re going to win, that’s all I’m trying to do. Looking back over this Test the thing is we have managed to go 2-1 up in the series, right the wrongs from Trent Bridge with the way the game has gone but all that matters to me is winning the game.”
While Stokes cares little about the statistics many use to evaluate all-rounders (his batting average of 34.19 is under a run less than his bowling) the 26-year-old is obsessed about personal development; his attitude in training was a key factor when he was made the vice-captain at the start of the year.
Stokes’s improvement with the ball this series stems from the third day of the defeat at Trent Bridge when, having found his early summer rhythm affected by a knee problem, he resolved to dedicate additional time to practise before the start of each day’s play. The result, as De Kock, Du Plessis and the sore hands of Dean Elgar will now testify, was clear.
He does not take his natural ability in the field for granted either and, with the coaches, devises methods to make training as tough as possible. Three of his four catches in The Oval win came off Moeen Ali and followed additional slip practice with the spinner in which he placed obstacles in front of him to reduce reaction time. Stokes said: “I am never happy with where I’m at and I never like to feel like I’m comfortable. I like making everything a little bit harder so that when it comes to the game it can feel a little easier.”
While for many the team who played at The Oval looked England’s most balanced from the three Tests this summer, the management remain open-minded about playing two spinners at Old Trafford in a move that would likely see Dawid Malan drop out and Liam Dawson recalled.
The pitch will of course dictate this call and the early feedback to the camp from Manchester is that recent rain may result in a surface that does not offer its usual bounce and could crumble should hot weather follow.
Who bats first is possibly more important, having thus far dictated the outcome in this series as part of a wider trend for both teams. England and South Africa have recorded only two wins apiece in the last two years when starting out in the field, as opposed to eight and seven respectively when handed the opportunity to post a total first up.
Stokes added: “We just hope that when it comes to the game in Manchester, we can put in a performance like the one just gone. But even when we have bad times, we can never look back at our preparation and think we could have done better.”
