Eoin Morgan says Ben Stokes performed “one of the great Test match innings” after putting 155 from 214 balls in opposition to Australia at Lord’s; head coach Brendon McCullum says his facet “lucky to have” Stokes – watch third Test from 10am, Thursday, Sky Sports Cricket

The script seemed written.

It seemed prefer it was going to be Headingley 2019 yet again. It seemed like Ben Stokes was going to drag off an Ashes heist in opposition to an more and more ragged Australia as soon as extra.

It seemed that means however didn’t find yourself that means.

Stokes’ unbeaten 135 noticed England to a profitable chase of 359 at Leeds 4 years in the past however his 155 at Lord’s on Sunday got here in defeat, with the house facet slipping to 327 all out in a chase of 371 as soon as their influential skipper was seventh out with the rating on 301.

But for therefore lengthy Stokes gave England hope.

His innings had so many shades of Headingley: Slow begin earlier than accelerating afterward. Smacking top-quality bowlers for six but additionally manipulating them for singles. A dropped catch – Marcus Harris 4 years beforehand, Steve Smith this time round at Lord’s.

It was an innings that left the Sky Sports Cricket pundits purring…

Sir Andrew Strauss

“Stokes was truly phenomenal, a true captain’s innings. There were all these sixes but smart play in-between where there were balls he would leave, or hit into the off-side and wait for his chance.

“He knew the place there was extra likelihood of a ball going for six. It was nice administration of an innings. It was good batsmanship in addition to brutal photographs.”

Eoin Morgan

“It was one the nice Ashes innings, nice Test match innings and he retains getting higher within the greatest video games. The extra he calls for of himself the higher he will get as a participant.

“The great players of any generation recognise situations when they can take the game away from you or when they need to take the sting out of a game.

“His innings ebbed and flowed at his tempo. He labored his means up and down the gears and picked and selected when he needed to do it.

“He showed unbelievable skill, almost predicting what Australia were going to bowl, how he was going to manipulate it, how often he kept the strike.”

Ricky Ponting

“Cometh the hour, cometh the man again for Stokes. He was almost forced to play that way when [Stuart] Broad came in but he did it. He scored another amazing Test match century.

“Most of the match-winning gamers in Tests are within the top-order. Stokes is in a ‘Mr Fix It’ function at occasions and a match-winning function at different occasions. That is the nice ability of the person.

“He averages 36 [with the bat] but it is littered with things that are ultra-special. We quite often judge players on just numbers but we have to start looking at other ways to judge players.”

Nasser Hussain

“He is a truly remarkable cricketer. I was on the pitch on [Sunday] morning and said I could not think of any English batter, in this generation or my generation, that I would rather have in the middle than him.

“To do it at Headingley, to do it in a World Cup last, to do it in a T20 World Cup last, to almost do it a fourth time. You might see in Australia’s eyes, ‘is that this actually occurring to us once more’. He is a tremendous cricketer, really superb.

“He doesn’t swing from the backside. He was ruthless and played the situation.”

England head coach Brendon McCullum

“Stokesy is a freak of a player, makes things happen and writes his own scripts, but I look at him more as our captain, our leader.

“The conviction he has on the journey we wish to go on, his religion within the gamers, the power to get the very best out of them, and the methods he carries himself along with his morals, we’re so fortunate to have him.”

Watch the third Ashes Test, from Headingley, reside on Sky Sports Cricket from 10am on Thursday. The first ball is at 11am.