Watch: In an inspired bowling change, Ben Stokes brought himself on and got Usman Khawaja to drag one back onto his stumps to end his long vigil at the crease in the second innings of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston.

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Khawaja has been by far Australia’s best batter in the first Test of the 2023 Ashes. Having scored 141 in the first innings that got them close to parity with England, he was once again the lone man standing in the run-chase in the second innings as wickets tumbled around him.

It was for the 69th over, with the pair of Khawaja and Alex Carey looking comfortable at the crease with less than 80 runs to go, that Ben Stokes decided to bring himself on for the first time in the second innings.

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Stokes is a man for the big moments, and he proved it once again, as he got rid of Khawaja in just the second over of his spell, bringing England ever so close to victory in the Ashes opener.

Khawaja, who had displayed immense patience till then, having faced 196 balls for 65 runs, couldn’t control his attempted backfoot push to the offside as he got an inside edge and played it onto his stumps. That it was a leg cutter with pace off definitely played a part in the dismissal.

The wicket brought England right back in the game as Australia still required 72 runs with just three wickets in hand. “Cometh the man, cometh the hour,” exclaimed Kevin Pietersen in the commentary box.

Watch Stokes end Khawaja’s epic resistance at just the right time for England

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