Published 16:27 IST, March 24th 2020
Brad Hogg picks Ben Stokes over Hardik Pandya as the best all-rounder for this reason
Brad Hogg picked Ben Stokes over Hardik Pandya as the best all-rounder during a recent Q&A session with the fans on social media. He also justified his reason
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Brad Hogg named an all-rounder who he reckoned was the best in modern-day cricket and no it was neither the young West Indian Jason Holder, Afghan sensation, Rashid Khan, Bangladeshi veteran Shakib-Al-Hasan or Indian superstars Ravindra Jadeja or Hardik Pandya but England's World Cup hero Ben Stokes.
Hogg picks Stokes over Pandya
It so happened that during a recent Question & Answer with the fans on social media, a fan had asked Hogg who is the better all-rounder among Hardik Pandya and Ben Stokes to which the two-time World Cup winner replied by picking the English cricketer and then went on to add that Hardik has huge potential, but hasn't played enough international cricket to challenge Stokes as the all-rounder of his World XI.
I have to go with the Englishman on this one. Hardik has huge potential, but hasn't played enough international cricket to challenge Stokes as the all rounder of my world XI. https://t.co/8u0jpfc7Dv
— Brad Hogg (@Brad_Hogg) March 24, 2020
Stokes' brilliance with the bat in 2019 WC Final
Ben Stokes rediscovered his rhythm which helped England especially when it had mattered the most. In the World Cup final at Lord's, England were in all sorts of trouble after they were reduced to 86/4 while chasing a target of 242. Stokes was then involved in a 110-run partnership with Jos Buttler for the sixth-wicket stand. The all-rounder scored an unbeaten 98-ball 84 with some stroke of luck that went his way which included an overthrow as the ball had deflected off his bat in the final over as the World Cup hosts were awarded six valuable runs. In the end, England won the contest by the boundary-count rule.
Over a month later, Stokes once again rose to the occasion in the third Ashes Test against arch-rivals Australia at Leeds which was a must-win game for England. Chasing a huge target of 359, the Joe Root-led side seemed down and out and that is when Ben Stokes had resurrected the English hopes. He scored an outstanding century and stood firmly at one end while wickets continued to tumble from the other. His efforts paid off as his unbeaten 219-ball 135 helped England register a famous win by 1 wicket.
16:27 IST, March 24th 2020