Dial the big moments, and Ben Stokes will answer it

Sport, or for that matter any walk of life, are defined by big moments. For some, it can be that one meeting they want to excel in. For others, it can be an exam they have dearly wanted to clear ever since they were a child. But whatever these big moments are, they have a huge bearing on how your existence is viewed. Failure to handle the occasion, and you will forever be frowned upon. Succeed, and the horizons seem endless.

In cricket, especially, these moments come around every time there is a World Cup, for these are tournaments that are often decided by the barest of margins and leave absolutely no room for error.

So, there are only a handful of individuals who can lay claim to bossing the big occasion. Because it is not a regular occurrence, these players are garlanded more than others. Because it is inevitably the difference between heartbreak and utter delirium, it also lasts longer in the memory. Sunday was one such instance.

In front of a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground, England and Pakistan clashed swords to be crowned champions of the T20 World Cup. Both had, prior to Sunday, lifted the title once. But this felt different, possibly because both had come perilously close to reaching the final a year ago, only to stumble at the penultimate stage.

Amidst this hue and cry, it would have been easy to lose track of what actually needed to be done. For stretches, it felt that both sides were guilty of it. Pakistan batted far too tentatively and could only muster 137. England then produced an implosion of their own, losing Alex Hales, Phil Salt and Buttler inside the powerplay.

Fortunately for them, one man knew exactly what needed to be done. One man who has been at the heart of everything good England have done in recent times, and has, rather uncannily, also been a part of their lowest ebbs. That man, if you have not guessed already, is Ben Stokes.

As soon as you hear the name Stokes, your mind immediately goes back to that manic 2016 T20 World Cup final at the Eden Gardens. As much as it was a ‘remember the name’ moment for Carlos Brathwaite, it was a ‘can we please forget my name’ moment for Stokes, who was carted for four consecutive sixes. In the final over.

For most cricketers, that would have been it. He had a few other controversial run-ins thereafter too, meaning that many in England had already started writing him off and had already started passing judgements on how this is another classic case of unfulfilled potential. But you must never write off Stokes. Never.

Ben Stokes' brilliance saw England past the finish line

If that 2019 World Cup final performance was an act of redemption, the 2022 iteration at the MCG was just as good. He did not score as many runs as he did at Lord’s that day. But the circumstances, you could argue, were tougher.

Haris Rauf was breathing fire. Naseem Shah was making the ball talk and bounce as if he was landing them on a trampoline. Shadab Khan was getting the ball to drop as if he was controlling the wind, and the pitch was as tricky as any encountered at this T20 World Cup.

Stokes, though, knew he could offset each of those elements. He knew he had to. He didn’t have any other choice. Six years after being painted as the pantomime villain, he simply had to be the hero of this particular story.

At one stage, he was batting on 24 off 34 balls, a seemingly archaic strike-rate even for ODI cricket these days. On Sunday, it was just what England needed. Stokes could not lay bat on most deliveries Rauf was bowling. But deep down, he knew he could deal the blows that needed to be dealt.

Fortune did favour him and England a touch. Shaheen Shah Afridi’s injury meant that Iftikhar had to bowl the 16th over, and that opened the floodgates, with Stokes clattering him for 10 runs off the final two balls of that over. Quite often in sport, though, you make your own luck. And after being on the receiving end of that thunderous assault in 2016, maybe Stokes deserved this bit of luck.

Throughout this contest, there were several variables. Pakistan’s bowling attack could have blown England away. England’s batting resources could have demolished Pakistan, just like they did against India a few days ago. The pitch, too, did not play the way many thought it would. The one constant, however, was Stokes, and his ability to soak it all in, and do what he does best – own the big moments as if he was born to do so.

Look back at Stokes’ career, and you will find his crests being higher than the ordinary individual, and his troughs being significantly lower than the general population. So, the glitz, the glamour, the glory is always accompanied with greater disappointment, dreariness and possible doom. But that is what makes him tick, and if you ask him, he will probably have it no other way.

The big moments are meant to test the resolve of an individual. They are meant to pressurise you into mistakes and are meant to force you into doing things you would normally not do. And then, at the other end of that spectrum is Stokes, who almost waits for such situations to arise so that he can calm everything down and remind everyone why he is a superhuman talent in a sport played by countless mere mortals.

In sport, they say the big moments find certain individuals. Stokes certainly is that individual. Whenever you dial the big moments, he is there to answer it. The unerring accuracy with which he emerges unscathed, though, possibly makes you think if he goes looking for them.

You wouldn’t put that past him either.