Daily Star

BEN HAS X-FACTOR

Hero Stokes is hailed by Cook

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ENGLAND will make changes to their winning team for Friday’s second Test in Dhaka but Ben Stokes will not be among them.

Captain Alastair Cook hailed Stokes claiming he has the ‘X-factor’ after he broke Bangladesh­i hearts with the two wickets England needed to force a tense 22-run victory yesterday.

The hosts, who required 33 runs to record their first win in nine Tests against England, managed to knock 10 runs off their target after resuming the final day on 253-8 in pursuit of 286.

Options

But Stokes then intervened to take the wickets of Taijul Islam and Shafiul Islam in the space of three balls to get his team over the line after just 19 minutes play. It capped a superb performanc­e from the 25-year-old, whose six wickets and 85 with the bat after his team had slipped to 46-4 in their second innings proved the difference in a nail-biting contest. Cook said: “The guy is that X-factor cricketer which every side would from RODNEY WHITE in Chittagong love to have. He balances our side, he gives us options, he allows us to play the extra seamer here or an extra spinner,.

‘‘The one thing he has done over the last year is improve his method batting against spin.

“I don’t want to say I’m surprised but it showed what a lot of hard work can do – and he can take a lot of credit for that.”

Stokes, who memorably smashed the second-fastest Test double hundred in history in Cape Town in January, admitted this was his proudest moment in an England shirt.

“Overall I think it is,” he said.

Cook said England, who have a 1-0 lead with one Test to play against Bangladesh, will now freshen up their bowling attack for the series finale as they look ahead to the five Tests in India that immediatel­y follow the current tour.

Cook said: “I’m pretty sure there will be some changes, just due to what we have coming up.

“It’s certainly more about rotation and also in an ideal world we don’t want to get to India and an important Test match with people having not played much cricket. “

Stokes doesn’t fancy being rested, though, and said: “Nah, I’ll play all seven if I still get picked.”

 ??  ?? BEN-SATIONAL: Stokes takes the wicket of Shafiul Islam to clinch victory
BEN-SATIONAL: Stokes takes the wicket of Shafiul Islam to clinch victory

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