England captain Joe Root praised Ben Stokes after a huge 113-win over West Indies in the 2nd Test in Manchester on Monday. Stokes not only scored a patient 176-run in the first innings, he hammered 78 runs in 57 balls after being asked to open in the 2nd innings and set up a challenging total for the Windies to chase. Speaking to reporters after the match at the post-match presentation ceremony, Root said: “He’s Mr Incredible. I suppose. I certainly think he can keep performing at this level. I think the sky’s the limit for him really.”
“To have such a complete game, and so many different gears at your disposal, allows you the ability to keep getting better,” Root added.
“If he continues to read situations the way he is, and keeps the confidence that he’s playing with at the moment, there’s no reason why we can’t continue to see such brilliant performances as we have done this week, and over the last 12 months really,” he further said.
“I think everyone understands that we are watching a player at the peak of his powers, at the peak of world cricket, delivering time and time again.
“We have to savour that, we have to appreciate that and understand that we are, without trying to pump his tyres too much, in the presence of greatness,” the England skipper further said.
Speaking on his performance, Stokes, who was named the man of the match said that he had to play different roles in both the innings. “Both completely different roles, last night and this morning was simple in terms of what we needed to do to get ahead of the game,” the allrounder said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
“A lot of credit has to go to the spell the bowlers bowled yesterday – Broad, Woakes, Curran and Bess. There are discussions, but Joe has the final call on when I bowl. He made a positive effort to get Jos and me up the order. Looking at the scoreboard and seeing 300 balls faced was quite strange (laughs). Never thought I’d ever see that,” the batsman added.
