Who said what - Top 5 expert reactions on Ben Stokes' stunning 155 in Lord's Ashes Test 

England captain Ben Stokes almost pulled off another miraculous win for his side with an incredible knock of 155 on Day 5 of the second Ashes 2023 Test at Lord's. Stokes had won England the Test match at Headingley in Leeds four years ago against the same opposition from a similar situation and it seemed like it could be deja vu for the Aussies.

When Jonny Bairstow was dismissed, Stokes probably realized that it was just his wicket that the Aussies needed for a win. The all-rounder unleashed himself onto the visitors and seemed to be smashing sixes for fun.

Just when it looked like Australia were running out of ideas, Ben Stokes was dismissed trying to go for another six as he hit one up in the air and Alex Carey completed an easy catch. Although Australia won the game by 43 runs, fans and cricket experts have hailed Stokes for his outstanding effort.

On that note, let's take a look at five of the best quotes from cricket experts on Ben Stokes:

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#5 Aakash Chopra

In a video on his YouTube channel, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra lauded Ben Stokes for a truly incredible performance. He shed light on how Stokes was able to clear the boundaries despite fielders being there in the deep and believes the England skipper breathed life into the Ashes. He said:

"You will have to praise Ben Stokes, the sort of knocks he has played under pressure in the Ashes or the World Cup final. Cometh the hour, cometh the man, that's Ben Stokes. Nine fielders were in the deep and despite that, what Ben Stokes does, only Ben Stokes does that. The Ashes were going absolutely cold thus far."

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#4 Brad Haddin

Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin praised Stokes for his competitive spirit and his ability to not give up despite the team being in a precarious situation.

Here's what he had to say on the Willow Talk Podcast:

"Well he (Stokes) is a competitive beast, isn't he? He's just got this switch inside him which is never dead. The way he changed from first to fifth gear and all of a sudden put England in a position where they felt they could win the game is just extraordinary. He is just a competitor, he does not want to lose."

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#3 Eoin Morgan

Former England cricketer Eoin Morgan has won the World Cup 2019 with Ben Stokes and remembers his heroics against New Zealand in the final. He spoke about just how often Stokes is able to bring his A game to the table in such big games.

Morgan also lauded Stokes for choosing the right moments to go after the Australian bowling. Here's what he told Sky Sports Cricket:

"He (Stokes) just keeps getting better in these big games. It's almost like the more he demands of himself, the better he gets. Great players recognize situations where they either need to take the game away from you or they need to take the sting out of the game.

"That's exactly what he did as he picked and chose when he wanted to do his thing and that's an unbelievable skill."

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#2 Michael Vaughan

In his column for The Telegraph, former England skipper Michael Vaughan hailed Ben Stokes for almost delivering against the odds once again. He shed light on how Stokes loves the big stage and 'impossible' moments and feels that the England captain could possibly inspire his team to a turnaround in Ashes 2023.

Vaughan wrote:

"Stokes has a superpower. He seems to thrive on adversity and pressure. He loves it more when it gets tough and when you think he has half a body not working – it’s his toughness that shines through.

"We are so lucky to have him as England Test captain. He now has the biggest challenge and that’s to inspire his troops to an incredible comeback in the series from this impossible position. And we know he likes the impossible."

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#1 Nasser Hussain

Former England captain Nasser Hussain probably had the biggest compliment for Ben Stokes as he claimed that he hadn't seen a bigger match-winner in the past three decades.

In his column for The Daily Mail, Hussain explained why Stokes is just a class apart from the rest:

“Ben Stokes showed his colleagues in the dressing room what playing for his England team is all about on Sunday - and there is no better cricketer in my era in that kind of situation.

"Ask me who I would want to be at the crease from the past 30 years and it would be Stokes. Haven't seen a more competitive England cricketer in my time than Stokes and it’s amazing too how often he gets the ball out of the middle of the bat in these kinds of situations when all the fielders are on the rope."

Although Australia are 2-0 up in the series, the hosts will hope that Ben Stokes is able to inspire his team to a memorable Ashes comeback.