England vs India: Ben Stokes goes to ‘dark places’ to script famous win at Lord’s in Test match full of needle | Cricket News

A superficial glance on the dashboard and you could wonder why Ben Stokes was appointed player of the match for the third test at Lord’s.

Scores of 33 and 44. Two counters in the first round in India, three in second. No hundreds like Joe Root and Kl Rahul. No twin of the fifties as his versatile compatriot will ravish Jadeja. No five for Jasprit Bumrah.

But whoever watched you will tell you that Stokes was perhaps the only option to stand there with the presentation with the medal around his neck, to speak to Sky Sports’ Michael Atherton, speaking of “dark places”, this match in charge of the needle had taken him.

He simply didn’t have the energy to celebrate with us at the end because he threw everything. It shows how much he is a brilliant leader, not just tactically, but in the way he gives the example with everything he does. It was a monumental effort.

Like so many times in the past, when England needed someone, that someone was stokes.

When England needed someone to sew a partnership with Root on the first day after two fast counters had left the hoarse hosts on 172-4, that someone was stokes.

When England needed someone to put an end to more than a hundred stand between Rahul and Rishabh Pant in the first sleeves of India, this person was Stokes – a direct blow of the cover that comes out of the latter.

When England needed someone to end a stand of fifty -more between Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy, that someone was Stokes – Reddy caught behind a vicious bullet that jumped from the surface during a seven tireless spell of the house captain.

When England needed someone to sew a partnership with Root on the fourth day after Harry Brook’s highly criticized dismissal, trying to sweep the fast Bowler India Akash Deep had left the hosts passing the 87-4, that someone was Stokes.

When England needed someone to remove the silky Rahul – the striker considered key if tourists had to make a prosecution of 193 on the last day – that someone was stokes, during a 9.2 spell. Pader in the PAD, successful review, LBW, India 81-6.

And when England needed someone to take a frustrating stand of ninth window between Jadeja and Bumrah, that someone was Stokes, during a spell of 10 versions this time. Bouncing Bumrah while the firm resistance of the Tailender was finally broken.

The big decisions of Stokes and the big bowling alley are paid

Stokes, once again, had the golden touch, including with its decisions.

He could have started with Brydon Carse on the fifth morning after this bowler had pinned Shubman Gill and Karun Nair LBW the day before, but he went with Jofra Archer, a man who had not fully understood the previous night, deviating too full.

This call was partly a stroke of Gutfeel, six years old by his super winner of the World Cup against New Zealand on the same field, “would do something special”.

He did it. Until the pant’s stump up and produce a sin and a sander with a hand to remove Washington Sundar, who said the day before that India would probably win just after lunch. England has won, just after tea, with exhausted stokes.

“I’m not going to lie. I can’t wait to lie in my bed for four days,” said Stokes after his marathon bowling efforts on the last day took his number of all in the test at 44. It was only when he left the field that “a whole new level of fatigue fatigue”.

“I have already participated in matches when I was given the ball to try to make the team in victory,” he said. “But now, as a captain, adding decision-making around bowling changes, field investments. Obviously, there is a physical element, but that should not be underestimated how emotional and mental fatigue also allows you.”

I spent five years as a captain trying to prevent him from bowling like that and it did not work, so now he is captain, I have no chance! If he feels that he is the man for work, he will take this on himself and it is inspiring for the rest of the group. Everyone follows.

Stokes promised to take care of his body after returning from an injury to the hamstrings suffered last December and finally withdrew from the attack on Saturday once a message from Brendon McCullum had been relayed by the bowling consultant Tim Southee – but there was no price of his hand on Monday.

“I thought that I had brought myself to fairly dark places before, but that today was … if the bowling alley to win a test for your country does not excite you, sets you up, then I don’t know what is doing. The game was at stake and nothing would prevent me from playing bowling.”

We feel you, well. Now go ahead and lie down.

Tempers flare in the Third Ardent Test

To be fair, I think we all need a lie after the Lord’s test, which came to life after the last seven spicy minutes on the third evening when the flagrant of Zak Crawley – and hilarious, unless you are Indian – time has been hot.

There were heated words, a captain unscathed from India Shubman Gill saying in Crawley to grow balls (the joke going around on social networks was that Crawley had forced Gill would have quickly asked that these balls were changed).

The tensions spread the next day with the Mohammed Siraj always combative for a fine for its dynamic shipment to Ben Duckett which included both shoulders.

Then Deep tried the delay tactics of Crawley-Esque in the depths of the fourth day, calling the physio as the star of England had done 24 hours earlier.

But the Nightwatchman could not delay things long enough and was quickly upset by Stump by Stokes. Yes, stokes again.

No more beef was probably expected on the last day, taking into account what had happened before and what was at stake, and he duly arrived when a jadeja looking at Ball accidentally met Carse. None of the two players was happy, the temperatures broke out again.

But who was there to make sure that things do not become uncontrollable? Stokes.

Peacemaker then, manufacturer of difference throughout the test.

Look at the fourth test between England and India, live Sky Sports Cricket And Main Sky Sports event From 10 a.m. on Wednesday July 23 (11 a.m. from the first ball) or Stream without contract.

England vs India – Results and calendar

England has led a series of five 2-1 games (all matches at 11am from the United Kingdom and Ireland; all live on Sky Sports)