Shane Watson ‘Gobsmacked’ To See Ben Stokes Batting Defensively In The Ashes 2021-22

Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson said that he was hugely surprised to see ace England batter Ben Stokes opting for a defensive batting approach in the first two Test matches of the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 in Australia. He said that for England to fight back, they needed Stokes to be at his aggressive best.

Stokes announced his return from a mental health sabbatical in July this year and the hype surrounding it didn’t turn out to be what it was. The all-rounder looked out of sorts in both the Gabba and Adelaide Test matches with both the bat and the ball.

Stokes is yet to deliver across departments as per his standards. He has a high score of 34 in four innings and a bowling average of 67.33, taking three wickets along the way.

“What has really blown me away is to see the defensive way in which Ben Stokes has batted. I’m gobsmacked. It goes against everything that he is – the person he is, the player he is. When he is at his best, he’s got no fear, he’s taking the bowling on no matter what the conditions, and he has such incredible skill that it doesn’t matter whether he’s facing spin or the quicks. The bowlers have to bowl the perfect ball otherwise he’s all over it because he’s got shots all around the ground,” Watson wrote in his column for the Times.

The 40-year old feels the all-rounder is unstoppable when in his groove against any type of bowling, hitting shots all over the ground.

Racking My Brain As To Why This Would Be His Game Plan: Shane Watson On Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes was the best England batter in the 2019 Ashes as he ended up with 441 runs at an average of 55.12. This included his majestic 135* which helped England win the Headingley Test by just one wicket, though Australia retained the Ashes as the series ended 2-2.

The 40-year-old Watson has predicted that the England all-rounder’s performance is due to a lack of match practice.

“I’m racking my brain as to why this would be his game plan. I think it is perhaps because he has come into the series underdone in terms of preparation. Maybe he’s trying to find his way into the series by spending time in the middle. But the Australian bowlers are just dictating play. At some stage, he’s going to get out and without having really made an impact on the scoreboard,” he added.

The third Test begins on the 26th of December in Melbourne. England needs to win this match to stay in the series as they are 0-2 down.

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