Ashes 2023: Moeen Ali can produce unbelievable match-winning performances, says England Test captain Ben Stokes

England skipper Ben Stokes has backed all-rounder Moeen Ali to produce unbelievable match-winning performances in the Ashes. Ali decided to take a U-turn on his Test retirement and he has been included in England’s playing XI for the first Ashes Test against Australia.

Ali has scored 2914 runs in 64 Test matches and took a total of 195 wickets. Ergo, it will be interesting to note what Ali will have in store for England in the second wind of his Test career.

But, Ali doesn’t boost a great Test record against Australia. The left-hander has scored 476 runs in 11 Test matches at an average of 25.05. Furthermore, Ali has scalped 20 wickets at an average of 64.65 against the Australians. Thus, he will be determined to turn the tables and stand up to the faith which has been shown in him by Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes.

“He (Moeen) is a player who can produce unbelievable match-winning performances, albeit a long time ago (in tests), and it was something I couldn’t look past,” Stokes said in the pre-match press conference.

“That was a stomach and a heart feeling rather than my brain. I’ve generally stuck with my gut and my heart throughout my whole captaincy so far. Moeen Ali is going to come in here and I’m looking at what he can offer to this team on his best days and not worrying about anything else.”

On the other hand, Stokes also opened up on his bowling fitness and said he is on the right track. Stokes recently recovered from a knee injury, which kept him out of action in IPL 2023 for Chennai Super Kings and then he didn’t bowl a single over in the one-off Test match against Ireland at the Lord’s.

“I have bowled every day so far and been able to run in with more intensity, day by day,” Stokes said. “I have got myself in a real good place to be able to bowl.

“But (bowling coach) David Saker has obviously come in and he mentioned something to me last week when we were in Scotland. He said if you are still bowling by the fourth and fifth test, we have done something right. I think I’ll give 100 percent of what I’ve got all the time.”

The first Ashes starts Friday at Edgbaston, Birmingham.