Ricky Ponting Applauds Ben Stokes' Innovative Captaincy in Ashes Opener

Former Australian batter Ricky Ponting has praised England captain Ben Stokes for his exceptional captaincy and innovative field placements during Day 3 of the Ashes 2023 opener in Birmingham.

Stokes displayed his creativity by trying various experimental field placings and bowling tactics throughout Australia's first innings. His unorthodox strategies paid off when an unusual field helped dismiss centurion Usman Khawaja on the third day.

Ponting commended Stokes' proactive approach and his commitment to pushing the game forward, considering it a significant boost for Test cricket.

"He's making a change almost every ball, which is great, it's proactive captaincy. He's always trying to move the game forward, looking for any possible way to pick up a wicket and change the momentum," Ponting expressed to ICC.

During Khawaja's innings, Stokes constantly altered the field and made numerous bowling and tactical changes to challenge and eventually dismiss the batsman.

"I don't think I've ever seen a field like that in Test cricket before. There was just an umbrella of fielders around in front of the batsman's face. And it was all about bowling a couple of slower balls and being able to bowl a yorker," Ponting shared.

The former Australian captain found Stokes' captaincy style refreshing and praised his willingness to explore all possible options to succeed.

"It's fantastic stuff. It's really refreshing for the Test game to see a team play this way and a captain happy to try everything he possibly can," Ponting added.

England successfully bowled Australia out for 386 runs in their first innings and ended Day 3 at 28/2, leading by 35 runs in the match. Stokes' innovative captaincy has been a significant factor in England's performance so far in the Ashes opener.