Jos, what did I just say!!!No need to take risks against Hasaranga now. Just see him out.
Doesn't even need that TBH. Just no more wickets!Gone from being a walk in the park to wading through knee high mud.
Just needs one good over to relieve the tension.
Stokes still looks off the pace. Exceptional cricketer but just not with it at the moment and don't think he deserves a starting spot with the talent we have available.
I kind of see your point but Stokes is a match winner in so many different ways (batting, bowling, fielding) that I don't think we can leave him out.
But the pitch suited the spinners. Stokes was batting during the toughest period of the match to bat on. And he took a wicket.Interesting that both innings had similar features. Top order batsmen got the runs at pace. Once the power plays were completed the spinners gained control because of the turning Sydney pitch, catchers on the boundary and a softened ball. Rashid bowled beautifully including one over in the power play that changed the momentum.
Stokes batted sensibly and in a calculated way.
Can see how you might think Stokes was man of the match, but without Rashid the job would have been much harder.