Reliving 3 of the best resistances from the tail to win Test matches

#2 Ben Stokes and Jack Leach (The Ashes - Headingley, 2019)

Ben Stokes brought back memories of Sir Ian Botham with an all-round performance that won him a well-deserved Man of the Match award

Australia 179 (Marnus Labuschagne 74, David Warner 61, Jofra Archer 6-45) and 246 (Marnus Labuschagne 80, Ben Stokes 3-56) lost to England 67 (Josh Hazlewood 5-30) and 362 for 9 (Ben Stokes 135*, Joe Root 77, Joe Denly 50) by one wicket

England came into the third Test with Australia poised to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. Joe Root won the toss and put the Aussies into bat. It seemed like a great decision with the Aussies being dismissed for 179 runs. Jofra Archer was the pick of the English bowlers with a six-wicket haul in his second Test match. However, the English innings lasted for a mere 28 overs. The pace trio of Hazlewood, Pattinson, and Cummins bundled the Aussies out for 67 runs, gaining a lead of 112 runs.

Marnus Labuschagne played a defensive 80-run knock in the second innings, taking Australia to what seemed like a match-winning total, especially considering what had transpired in the first innings. Ben Stokes was the most effective bowler with an economical 3-wicket spell. England was set a target of 359.

Jason Roy and Rory Burns fell early, dismissing all hopes of a miracle. However, Joe Root and Joe Denly joined hands to stitch a 126-run partnership that brought back confidence in the English dressing room. Joe Denly was dismissed late on day 3, bringing Ben Stokes to the crease. When Joe Root fell early on day 4, the match seemed all but lost.

Ben Stokes, who had played an uncharacteristically slow inning till then, took up the responsibility of taking England to victory. He played second fiddle to Jonny Bairstow, whose aggressive innings put the Australians on the back foot.

Bairstow's dismissal sparked a collapse. Buttler was run-out in a terrible mix-up with Stokes calling for a non-existent single. Chris Woakes chipped one straight to Wade at short cover. Jofra Archer seemed intent on slogging every delivery, only to hand a simple catch to deep mid-wicket off Nathan Lyon. Broad never looked comfortable during his stay at the crease.

With England still needing 73 runs for the win, Ben Stokes broke the shackles with three sixes off Nathan Lyon (which even included a switch hit) and consecutive sixes off Hazlewood, bringing back loud cheers in the stadium. Every run was being cheered by an enthusiastic English crowd at Headingley. Stokes got to a well deserved century, but the game was not finished yet.

There were several nerve-wracking moments in the last 3 overs. The first ball of the 124th over was sliced to third man by Ben Stokes, only for Marcus Harris to drop a reasonably simple catch. The last ball of the over skidded onto the pads of Jack Leach. The Australians wasted a review.

The moment of the game came in the fifth ball of the 125th over. Nathan Lyon bowled a flighted delivery that pitched on the rough created outside the off-stump. Stokes brought out a reverse sweep to counter the turn and timed it crisply but straight to short third man. Leach was three quarters down the pitch and an accurate throw to the bowlers end made it seem like the game was done and dusted. But Nathan Lyon had other plans, as he fumbled the ball (and perhaps, the match).

Ben Stokes went for a sweep off the last ball of the 125th over. A loud appeal was turned down. The Australians had used up their reviews. To their regret, hawk-eye indicated that the delivery would have hit middle and leg-stump.

Jack Leach survived two hostile deliveries from Pat Cummins and scampered through for a single off the third ball. The fourth ball was smashed by Ben Stokes through the vacant cover region for a boundary bringing up an emotional victory for the Englishmen. Ben Stokes was down on his knees, with tears in his eyes and the entire stadium shouting his name in joy.