England all-rounder Ben Stokes' Manchester masterclass has convinced captain Joe Root the team is “in the presence of greatness” and that sky is the limit for “Mr Incredible”.
Stokes' match haul of 254 runs and three wickets fashioned England's series-levelling victory against the West Indies in the second Test on Monday, also earning him the player-of-the-match award.
“He's Mr Incredible, I suppose,” Root said, comparing Stokes to the muscular cartoon superhero. “He looks a bit like him, and will probably end up the same shape too.
“I think the sky is the limit for him really, when you watch how he goes about things, there's no reason why he can't keep performing this consistently.”
From Stokes' heroics to Broad vehemently justifying his place in the team, here are our correspondents discussing the takeaways from the match and the road ahead for the Windies.
Even in the side's four-wicket defeat in the series opener at Southampton Stokes managed 89 runs and six wickets, leading the side, while Root attended the birth of his second child.
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“I think everyone understands that we are watching a player at the peak of his powers, at the peak of world cricket, delivering time and again,” Root said.
“We have to savour that, appreciate that and understand that we are - without trying to pump his tyres too much - in the presence of greatness.”
Stokes was also a key player for England last year, pushing the side to a thrilling 50-overs World Cup final win and smashing an unbeaten century to ensure victory in an Ashes test against Australia at Headingley.
Root said the 29-year-old had added “different gears” to his game.
“Here he showed a bit more versatility really, within himself, and the fact that he's a more complete player now,” he added.
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