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'He Looked Light On...'- AB de Villiers Lauds Ben Stokes For Displaying Calmness Despite Successive Defeats

image-lk262xf2Ben Stokes has brought a revelation into English Test setup (AP Photo)

Legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers has hailed England captain Ben Stokes for not losing his cool despite losing the first two Tests of the ongoing Ashes series.

England came back strongly at Headingley as they chased down 251 in the fourth innings to keep the Ashes alive following consecutive heartbreaking defeats at Edgbaston and Lord's.

Speaking on his Youtube Channel, De Villiers noted that Stokes, despite being under immense pressure in the lead-up to the Leeds Test looked extremely "free" and "light on his feet".

"He's [Ben Stokes] an incredible cricket player. He’s got a really sharp cricket brain. We watched him in the last Test match, and how calm he was, actually all the Test matches," the former South Africa captain said.

"If you lose the first two Test matches in five Test match series is very nerve-wracking, and he was always just calm, especially after losing in that second one. So close, small margins, and arrived in the third Test match, and he looked free. He looked light on his feet, looked sharp."

Speaking of Stokes, the champion all-rounder has been England's best batsman in the ongoing Ashes, affecting one carry-job after another.

Stokes backed up his magnificent 155 at Lord's with a match-winning 80 in the first innings at Headingley. His knock helped the hosts close out the first innings deficit, which ultimately proved pivotal in the larger scheme of things as England went on to chase down 251 with just three wickets at their disposal.

The fourth Test kicks off at Old Trafford in Manchester from July 19.