Ben Stokes has long been the heartbeat of English cricket—a talismanic allrounder whose fearlessness and flair defined a generation. His legacy was immortalised in 2019, with two unforgettable innings: an unbeaten 84 in the ODI World Cup final that helped force a Super Over and secure England’s first title, and a miraculous 135* at Headingley to steal victory in the Ashes from the jaws of defeat.
But since taking on the Test captaincy, the weight of leadership has grown heavier with each passing series, and so too has the scrutiny. Over the past year and a half, while his leadership has revitalised England’s red-ball approach, Stokes the batter has found himself in unfamiliar territory—battling inconsistency, injury, and the pressure of carrying a team in transition.
A Fighter from the Start
Ben Stokes announced himself on the Test stage during the 2013-14 Ashes tour in Australia, carving out a defiant century on a brutally unforgiving Perth pitch in just his second Test. Facing a rampant Mitchell Johnson at the height of his powers, Stokes stood tall amidst the chaos, scoring a gritty second-innings hundred as cracks on the surface widened so much that a hand could pass through them.
It was an early glimpse into the fighter’s spirit that would come to define him—a young allrounder unafraid to take the game head-on, even in the harshest conditions. That innings didn’t just mark the arrival of a promising cricketer; it revealed the raw, resilient core of a player destined to shape England’s future.
Ben Stokes began his international career primarily as a batter who could bowl—a far cry from comparisons to Andrew Flintoff, who was initially seen as a more dominant force with the ball. Unlike Flintoff, Stokes arrived with a more refined and technically sound batting game. But as his career progressed, it became clear that he was just as potent with the ball in hand. Time and again, he has shown an uncanny knack for breaking crucial partnerships, producing game-changing deliveries out of nowhere when nothing else seemed to be happening—moments that underline his value not just as an allrounder, but as a game-changer.
Battling the Odds with the Bat
With the bat, Stokes may not have the consistency of a top-order run-machine, but his greatest strength has always been his ability to rise in adversity. In crisis, he becomes England’s go-to man—someone who thrives in pressure, absorbs the moment, and often produces the extraordinary. However, in recent times, particularly in the Bazball era, the story with the bat has taken a more complicated turn.
Since the beginning of 2023, Stokes has played 43 Test innings but has managed only seven half- centuries and a single hundred—an explosive 155 against Australia at Lord’s during the 2023 Ashes, reminiscent of his 2019 Headingley heroics. In both knocks, he was left to fight almost alone, counterpunching with aggressive strokeplay after extended periods of stoic defence.
That Lord’s innings, like Headingley, reflected his split batting identity: long stretches of survival followed by sudden, unrelenting attack. For instance, in the Headingley epic, Stokes scored just 2 runs from his first 67 deliveries—an extreme example of patience before unleashing chaos on the Australian bowlers.
The Challenge of Finding Flow
This duality has become a hallmark of Stokes’ recent Test batting. He possesses a tight defensive technique, plays close to his body with a straight bat, and can dig in better than most. But what’s often missing is the rhythm and fluency that allows a Test batter to build innings consistently. His recent numbers suggest it’s not so much about early dismissals or poor shot selection, but rather an ongoing struggle to find that tempo—an issue magnified by the demands of Bazball, which thrives on momentum and positive intent.
The second innings at Lord’s in the last test against India was another example. Stokes ground his way to 33 from 96 deliveries—defiant and deliberate—but then fell to a slog sweep, a high-risk shot played in the spirit of the aggressive philosophy he himself has championed. It was the right intent for the situation, but also emblematic of a broader pattern: long, effortful starts without reward, followed by a switch to attack that doesn’t always come off.
The Need for a New Blueprint
Having contrasting gears in an innings isn’t inherently problematic—in fact, it has defined some of Stokes’ greatest knocks. But the recent stretch of underwhelming scores suggests the balance isn’t quite right.
The question isn’t whether Stokes can still produce brilliance—he clearly can—but whether his current approach allows him to do it often enough. As captain, leader, and middle-order cornerstone, that remains a critical puzzle for both him and England to solve.
Sometimes, it’s not the technique that lets a batter down—it’s the method. In Ben Stokes’ case, his technical foundation remains solid; the issue lies more in the way he constructs his innings. As a Test batter, Stokes hasn’t been diminished—his skill, temperament, and toughness are all still intact. But the old blueprint he relied on to build an innings, especially in challenging situations, no longer seems to serve him as effectively.
The rhythm, the pacing, the switch between defence and attack—something in that sequence isn’t clicking. It’s not his ability that needs reinvention, but the approach. The game has evolved, and so too must Stokes’ method if he is to regain the consistency his team so desperately needs from their leader.
