‘Felt like Ashes got stolen the other day’

Australia coach Justin Langer said that he felt like the Ashes were stolen from the Aussies at Headingly after Ben Stokes’s incredible knock.

England needed 73 runs with just one wicket remaining when Stokes hit a match-winning 135 as Ashes holders Australia spurned numerous chances to move into an unassailable 2-0 lead.

"We felt a bit like we got the Ashes stolen the other day. They won that Test match, so we felt a bit like it'd been stolen from us," 48-year-old Langer was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.

"Now we've got to work out what we're going to do and use that as fire. We're not going to feel sorry for ourselves and let it slip.

He drew an analogy between legendary boxer Muhammad Ali getting his bike stolen as a child and Australia losing the third Test. He said Australia now need to feel the same way Ali felt and react accordingly after the narrow defeat.

"Think about Muhammad Ali getting his bike stolen [as a child]. That was the fire he needed to become the greatest boxer of all time.

"The great players and great teams - in business and life - they have their ups and downs but they always fight back from it.

"You wouldn't see one champion player, one champion team, one champion business that hasn't done that."