Ashes 2023, 2nd Test: Marcus Trescothick feels England can hope as Ben Stokes still there going into Day 5 | Cricket News – Times of India

England‘s hopes of staging an improbable comeback against Australia on Sunday and salvaging a dwindling Ashes series rest heavily on the shoulders of captain Ben Stokes, who will need to conjure up more heroics.
At Lord’s, England’s pursuit of a challenging 371-run target was marred by the devastating bowling of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, resulting in a precarious 114-4 at the close of day four.
Nonetheless, with the resilient captain Stokes still standing, alongside the fortunate Ben Duckett who remained unbeaten on 50 after narrowly escaping dismissal before stumps, and the formidable Jonny Bairstow yet to bat, England’s batting coach Marcus Trescothick believes there is still a glimmer of hope.”I think there’s always hope with Ben there, two Bens there, Jonny coming in and the bowlers,” Trescothick told the BBC.
“If someone can get a big score, we can challenge them and try and overcome it. We’re still fairly upbeat, we’re a positive unit. We have good days and bad days. You enjoy it on a good day, but you don’t get too down on a bad day.
“You take the rough with the smooth.”
Australia find themselves on the brink of taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the five-match series, requiring only six more wickets against England’s vulnerable tail. It is worth noting that in the history of the Ashes, only once has a team overcome such a deficit to emerge victorious.
However, the Australian team remains cautious of the threat posed by Stokes, who etched his name in cricketing folklore with an unbeaten 135 against them at Headingley in 2019. On that occasion, England miraculously chased down 359 runs despite languishing at 286-9.

If England manage to achieve the daunting target of 257 runs on Sunday, it would mark only the second instance of a team successfully pursuing a 300-plus total at Lord’s. The West Indies accomplished this feat in 1984 when they secured the required 342 runs.
Moreover, a successful chase would become the second-highest run chase in the history of the Ashes, although it falls significantly short of the monumental 404 runs Australia achieved to win at Headingley in 1948.
The exceptional bowling performance by Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins during Saturday evening’s session indicates that Australia is unlikely to allow victory to slip away. However, the Australian team was visibly unsettled when England opener Ben Duckett controversially survived a catch on the boundary.
Duckett deflected a bouncer from Cameron Green, and Starc initially caught the ball cleanly while diving near the fine leg boundary. Despite being given out, Duckett was called back after the third umpire Marais Erasmus determined that it was not a clean catch, with Starc lacking control over the “ball and body.”

“England have the best of the conditions and now they are getting the best of the rules,” former Australian bowling great Glenn McGrath told the BBC.
“If that is not out, then every other catch that’s ever been taken should not be out. That is a disgrace. If that’s England taking that catch, that is out!”
Barring something extraordinary on Sunday, it will become a minor detail but England have taken unpredictability to new levels under coach Brendon McCullum and the sell-out crowd at Lord’s could yet be in for a treat.
“We’ll see, it makes it an exciting day. Whatever happens tomorrow, it’s going to be an exciting final day,” Trescothick said.
(With agency inputs)