"Has there ever been a player, though, whose competitive instincts have shone as brightly as they do from Ben Stokes?" - Michael Atherton  

Former England captain Michael Atherton sang praises for Ben Stokes' exceptional effort on the final day of the Lord's Test against Australia, albeit a 43-run defeat in the end. The all-rounder gave the visitors a mighty scare with a blistering 155-run knock off 214 deliveries in the fourth innings.

Stokes kept England's hopes alive with a composed effort on Day 4 and proceeded to release the shackles following the dismissals of Ben Duckett and Jonny Bairstow. The skipper produced hitting of the highest class, pushing Australia into a state of panic until his dismissal with 70 runs left to chase down.

Lauding Stokes' competitive spirit and thirst to lead his team to victory, Atherton wrote in his column for The Times:

"This country has produced many great cricketers over the years. Has there ever been a player, though, whose competitive instincts have shone as brightly as they do from Ben Stokes? Has there even been a player with such an indomitable will to win and whose never-say-die spirit has been so evident?"

Adding that England rightly dreamt of another miracle while the skipper was at the crease, Atherton wrote:

"While he was in the middle, breathing life into a team that had gifted away a huge advantage on the toss and conditions, all was not lost. His 13th Test hundred had echoes of his match-winning century at Headingley four years ago, and another miracle looked on the cards for a while."

Stokes' Herculean effort included nine sixes, the most by any batter in a single Ashes innings to date. The lower order could not hold up following the all-rounder's dismissal as the hosts were eventually bowled out for 327, handing Australia a near-unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

---

"The similarities to Headingley were all too obvious" - Michael Atherton

A tantalizing run chase with Ben Stokes at the helm is a familiar situation that Australia are accustomed to, although it is one that they do not wish to revisit that often.

Pat Cummins and Co. are very well aware of the England skipper's ability to win matches single-handedly and his Lord's classic was eerily similar to his previous masterpiece at Leeds, which arguably cost Australia the Ashes, four years ago.

Noting the manner with which Australia were crumbling under pressure as Stokes gained momentum, Atherton wrote:

"For a while, especially when Australia’s fielding began to disintegrate under pressure either side of lunch, with Steve Smith of all people dropping a simple catch, the similarities to Headingley were all too obvious."

The usual sound of warm applause resonating through the Home of Cricket was not the scenario on the final day of the second Test. The crowd voiced their displeasure over Jonny Bairstow's controversial dismissal, with tensions boiling over even in the iconic long room at the venue.

Describing the tense atmosphere at Lord's on Day 5, Atherton wrote:

"It would be fair to say that the old ground has never witnessed an atmosphere quite like it at a Test match. A normal atmosphere at Lord’s would resemble a polite English tea party, but the place became febrile after the dismissal of Jonny Bairstow in the morning."

Do England have any chance of making a historic comeback in the 2023 Ashes? Let us know what you think.