This was exactly the kind of innings England fans had in mind when Ben Stokes announced his decision to un-retire ahead of this World Cup. Unfortunately, it was being played by Glenn Maxwell.
Less than 24 hours on from Maxwell's magnum opus, the Australian's double-hundred against Afghanistan on Tuesday to take his country into the semi-finals constituting probably the greatest ODI knock of all time, Stokes was indeed playing his own defiant hand.
A century from England's talisman in Pune steered the defenceless champions from the precipice of another premature skittling to a total too tall for the Dutch and, in the process, kept their quaint push for Champions Trophy qualification alive.
Denne historien er fra November 09, 2023-utgaven av Evening Standard.
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Denne historien er fra November 09, 2023-utgaven av Evening Standard.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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