Ben Stokes guided England home in the final of the T20 World Cup 2022 against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday, November 13.
After his heroics in the final match of the 2019 ODI World Cup, Stokes again displayed nerves of steel in crunch situations. He anchored the chase well with an unbeaten half-century (52*).
England found themselves in a tricky position in the second innings after the Pakistan pacers put them under pressure with a spirited showing. Haris Rauf led the way for Men in Green with a fiery spell in the powerplay. He dismissed Jos Buttler and Philip Salt to peg back the English batters' surge.
Naseem Shah also complemented him well with a magnificent spell. Ben Stokes and co struggled to put bat to ball in that game phase as Naseem bowled at full tilt at express pace and beat the bat umpteen times. Unfortunately, he could not pick up a single wicket in the spell.
Ben Stokes weathered the storm and then guided his side home in the 19th over without any significant hiccups. Moeen Ali (19) played a useful cameo in the end to assist Stokes' cause.
Cricket fans were in awe of Ben Stokes for maintaining his composure in such pressure situations and delivering match-winning performances for his side. It was also redemption for Stokes as Carlos Braithwaite hit him for four sixes in the final of the 2016 T20 World Cup. England ended up losing that game.
Here is a collection of the best memes after England's victory against Pakistan on Sunday:
"The bowlers have to take a lot of credit for restricting them to 130 or so"- Ben Stokes after the victory against Pakistan
Speaking after the conclusion of the final, Ben Stokes credited bowlers for putting on an exemplary showing in the first innings. They restricted Pakistan to a below-par score of 137/8. He reserved special praise for Sam Curran and Adil Rashid, who were standout bowlers for England in the contest.
Stokes said:
"In the finals and chasing, you forget all the hard work. I thought the way we bowled was excellent and that's what won us the game. Rashid and Sam, they were brilliant. The bowlers have to take a lot of credit for restricting them to 130 or so."
He added:
"We had to address some areas at the start of the tournament. You can't carry baggage with you in these tournaments. We moved on from that game (loss to Ireland). That's what the best teams do, they move on from the challenge. Representing your country in the World Cups is always an amazing feeling. A pretty good evening."
Who do you think was the stand-out performer for England in the World Cup? Sound off in the comments section.
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