Ben Stokes: Inspirational all-rounder turned England captain

Talismanic all-rounder Ben Stokes has long been England's go-to guy with both bat and ball. Now he has the added challenge of resurrecting the nation as a force in Test cricket.

The charismatic 30-year-old replaces his friend Joe Root, who stepped down earlier this month after five years in charge, with a tough job on his hands.

England - world champions in the 50-over format of the game - are languishing in fifth spot in the global Test rankings after just one victory in their past 17 matches.

Despite his intense workload, Stokes was the standout candidate to be the new skipper, with England short of experienced, in-form players after a chastening year.

Stokes's figures - he has scored 5,061 runs, including 11 hundreds, in 79 Tests at an average of nearly 36 and taken 174 wickets at 32 - are solid rather than spectacular.

But look beyond the numbers and there is a cricketer capable of match-changing spells with both bat and ball, as well as a brilliant close-catcher.

Stokes led the charge with a match-winning 135 not out in England's astounding one-wicket win over Australia at Headingley in 2019, an innings that has entered cricket folklore.

Yet by that stage he had already made a telling impact with his lively fast-medium bowling, taking three wickets to keep England - dismissed for just 67 in their first innings - in the game.

"He's a bit of a freak to be able to produce match-winning performances like that," said an admiring Root. "He's the ultimate team man, will do everything for every single player."

That stupendous innings in Leeds came just over a month after Stokes won the man-of-the-match award for an unbeaten 84 in the World Cup final at Lord's, where England triumphed against New Zealand.

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