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