5 reasons why Ben Stokes will be England's key player in the Ashes

The oldest rivalry in cricket is all set to begin this November. England will be touring Australia later this year to play the Ashes. The Ashes is perhaps the most prestigious trophy for which both these teams compete. Currently, England are the defending champions and will be up for a stern challenge when they face Australia down.

The English team recently defeated South Africa and will be riding high on confidence under their new skipper, Joe Root. However, this time, they'll be up against the likes of David Warner, Steve Smith, Mitch Starc and Pat Cummins among others. England will have to bring their 'A' game to the fore in order to challenge the Kangaroos.

One player who will play a major part is Ben Stokes. Stokes has been a revelation with his extraordinary all-round ability and let's take a look at 5 reasons that make him England's gun player in this year's Ashes.

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#5 England's new vice-captain

The flamboyant all-rounder is the new vice captain of the English side in whites. Ben Stokes can not only be of great help to Joe Root in providing help in captaining the side but also might get the opportunity to lead the side in Root's absence if required. Ben's aggressive mindset will do a great deal in his way of devising plans for the Aussies.

Apart from the above, there's been a new stride in Stokes' game ever since he's been given the responsibility. In the series against South Africa and even in the ongoing series against West Indies, he seems to be thriving in the new role.

The all-rounder is someone who likes facing challenges. This could be an ominous sign for the Aussies as Stokes might just be the player who ups his game when additional responsibility is added.

#4 England's answer to the Aussie sledging

Ben Stokes never backs away when it comes to sledging

We all know how intense a rivalry it will be when the two nations face off in the Ashes. The emotions on both sides are generally high and sparks are bound to fly. There have been many incidents in the past where the players were involved in some heated exchanges in the middle. From the Chappell-Botham rivalry to the Warne-Pietersen face off, Ashes has seen it all.

This year's Ashes also promises some mouth-watering clashes with both sides boasting of some highly competitive players. Ben Stokes from England might be the one to face off with the Aussies this time around.

The flamboyant player is always up to give it back to someone when it comes to sledging. His recent spats with Tamim Iqbal and Marlon Samuels are testaments to this fact. Stokes even faced off with Haddin and Johnson in his debut Ashes series in 2013. Come Ashes 2017, Stokes will definitely lead the visitors with the sledgehammer.

#3 England's X-factor

Ben Stokes adds an extra mile to the English Side

Ben Stokes is a cricketer that any captain would love to have in his team. He's talented, lively and thrives under pressure. The New Zealand born cricketer lends immense balance to his squad. He bats in the middle order and can bowl some quality overs. While his batting gives the much-required impetus the England's batting line up, his bowling provides Root with a reliable option to go to when in need of a wicket or two. Stokes even has an impressive record against the Aussies.

Australia, on the other hand, has been struggling to find a quality fast bowling all-rounder to fit into their squad. Mitchell Marsh has been provided many opportunities. But he has failed to capitalize any of those. They tried a brief stint with Hilton Cartwright which didn't work either. So England definitely has an X-Factor about them with Stokes in its ranks and have got the fast bowling all-rounder box ticked.

#2 Reliable bowler

Ben Stokes has developed to become a reliable bowler

Stokes is a right medium fast bowler who has developed to become a potent weapon over the years. He can bowl at lively pace and touches the 140 kph mark quite often. The pace friendly pitches in Australia will offer him with enough bounce and carry to trouble the batsmen. Stokes is generally a nippy customer who can challenge the batters with his inswingers. He can even hit the deck hard if required.

Stokes will bolster the pace battery consisting Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad, and Chris Woakes. He gives Root with a reliable option to go to with his happy knack of picking up wickets at regular intervals.

In the 37 Tests that he's played so far, Stokes has picked up 87 wickets and is racing towards the 100 wickets mark. His career best figures of 6-36 came against the Australians in 2015 Ashes which helped England regain the Ashes.

#1 A brilliant batsman

Stokes has transformed himself into a consistent batsman

The past two years have been pretty spectacular for Ben Stokes, the batsman. He has made the number six spot his own with some brilliantly played innings. Stokesy, as he's popularly known among his team mates, has grown into a matured batsman over the years. He can now play as per the situation while maintaining his typical flair. Of late, he has bailed England out of many precarious situations and helped them reach respectable scores.

His record breaking 258 against the South Africans at Cape Town in 2016 was one of the most memorable Test knocks. On his way of this epic knock, Stokes broke many records, including the fastest 250 (off 196 balls), the most number of sixes (11) in a Test innings, and the highest individual score by a number 6 batsman.

So far, Stokes has scored 2311 runs in 67 innings at an average of 35. He even has 6 centuries to his credit. In fact, his maiden Test century came against the Aussies at the WACA in the Ashes of 2013.

In this Ashes too, Stokes will play a key role with his batting exploits. He, along with Root and Cook, forms the batting core of the team's batting lineup. Stokes will require nothing less than his best to face the Aussie seamers on the pitches of the Adelaide Oval and the MCG.