Lord's Test vs India will be Ben Stokes' toughest challenge as captain: Atherton
Atherton said that the next couple of days would be crucial and used the words of Stokes to drive home his point. Stokes said that he had shut himself from everything after the Leed's win. Atherton said that Stokes will need to use the upcoming days now to lift the side after being outplayed at Edgbaston. 'It is not hard to imagine, then, how he must be feeling now. There was a gap of seven days between the first and second Tests The three days that Stokes used to shut himself off from the world after Leeds for his own benefit, are essentially the days he must use now to rally his players. His workload at Edgbaston was not dissimilar. He spent 25 overs longer in the field; he bowled nine overs fewer and batted 16 minutes less. Defeat, of course, exacerbates matters. If he was feeling knackered after a win at Leeds and with a seven-day break, how must he have been feeling on Monday morning with the Lord's Test three days away?' said Atherton. Atherton suggests changes for Lord'sWhen it came to the playing XI for the Lord's Test, Atherton said he would bring in Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson for Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse. Atkinson was added to the squad after the end of the Edgbaston Test. 'I'd keep faith with the batting and freshen up the seam attack, bringing in [Jofra] Archer and [Gus] Atkinson for Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse,' said Atherton. India and England will lock horns in the third Test, starting from July 10. - EndsTune InMust Watch
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When England set the visitors an eye-watering 669 runs to chase down in the fourth Test—leaving open only the chance of losing—the Indians opted for resistance rather than resignation. Across five gruelling sessions, India battled time, and fought to stay in the game. What transpired was not a thrilling chase, but a gritty draw. And while stalemates are usually viewed as Test cricket's biggest offenders, India's stoic resilience steeled its core, and eventually gave us equal claim on the inaugural Anderson-Tendulkar trophy—a prospect that had often seemed perilously out of from afar, India's former offie mainstay Ravichandran Ashwin articulated it best on his YouTube channel: 'Somebody will rise up. When we're pushed to the wall, this Indian team becomes a different beast.' And that beast roared at The Oval. From a dominant 301/3, while chasing only 374, England capitulated, losing seven wickets for 66 runs. Pressure changes sides. India smelled blood, and Siraj delivered the final blow. After the last rites were performed, a question was asked: what have you learned about yourself and the team in the past six weeks? 'Never give up,' captain Shubman Gill said, almost instinctively. Those three words captured the ethos of this young side that had stared down adversity, injury and the weight of expectation—and never summed up the spirit of Gill and Co. better than Siraj, bowling his fourth fastest ball of the series, at 146 kmph, at the fag end of a two-month-long tour, having already hurled 1,100-plus deliveries during the series. And what of Rishabh Pant, who refused plaster for his broken toe till the Old Trafford Test was over, so that he would not be found wanting while batting to save the Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar, when asked whether this Indian team had displayed a certain character as the series rolled on, told india today, 'Yes, you could certainly see that, with the way they fought back from difficult situations.' He reserved special praise for skipper Gill: 'The captain was the one that never gave up. He never gave his wicket away even after he got a 100, even after he got a double hundred, even after he got 250. And that is the spirit with which this team played. Hanging in there irrespective of the how in tough situations they found that extra piece of energy that took them over the line.'advertisement A LEADER EMERGESFor new captain Gill, this was a baptism by fire. And he came through with flying colours. Although there were errors—the under-bowling of Washington Sundar at Old Trafford, the strangely defensive fields at Headingley, the revolving door at No.3 between Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair, and the inexplicable dropping of Prasidh Krishna for an untested Anshul Kamboj (again at Old Trafford)—the net takeaways were positive. The 25-year-old came through with his reputation much you appoint your best batter captain, there is always the chance of losing him as a run-scorer. Cricketing history is littered with such casualties. But Gill, with 754 runs in the series, has put those concerns to rest emphatically. His purple patch from the IPL, where he was among the top five scorers and also captain of the Gujarat Titans, continued. The dual responsibility seemed to have galvanised him. More than the numbers, it was Gill's temperament that made an impression. Usually seen as gentle and self-contained, this series brought out a rawer version of him. His verbal volleys at the English batters for their time-wasting tactics at Lord's—delivered with a fire reminiscent of Virat Kohli—signalled a young man growing into the job. Questions arose: would going against his natural temperament affect his batting rhythm? The answer came soon enough: a gritty century at Manchester in the very next Test, and a Player of the Series award at the end of the tour, put those doubts to leadership isn't just about runs and rants, it's about trust. And Gill earned it in spades. Many in the squad had more Test experience. Some were contenders for the captaincy themselves before being overtaken by the boy from the frontier town of Fazilka, southwest Punjab. Yet, they synchronised perfectly to the conductor's tune, aligning their personal targets to the team's goal, ready to give their all when the occasion demanded. This was the biggest approbation of Gill the K.L. Rahul's insights on the dressing room air jive perfectly with what the world observed from the sidelines: 'Shubman has been phenomenal. He has led from the front, really worked hard with the boys behind the scenes as well as in forming a lot of people don't see. He'll take this Indian team to great heights.' Gill's captaincy will still need refining— tactically, he's a work in progress. But while a captain can be appointed, a leader must rise. And rise he did, in the summer of UNBREAKABLEIndia's campaign wasn't just about fight; it was also about form. This was a showcase of skill and adaptability across the board. There was Sundar, overlooked for much of the series with the ball, but invaluable with the bat, a true three-dimensional cricketer. There was Ravindra Jadeja, ever reliable, punching above his weight in both departments. And Akash Deep, all sinew and control, chipping in with crucial lower-order runs and bowling tireless spells. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rahul were stoic at the top, navigating the Dukes ball under heavy clouds and pressure. Prasidh Krishna, briefly dropped, showed his nous by baiting set batters with seemingly innocuous lengths before pulling the rug from under their feet. Pant's scores (134, 118, 65 and 74) weren't just counter-attacks, they were then there was Siraj, the series' heartbeat. His stamina was matched only by his craft—cross-seam deliveries that jagged in or seamed away, subtle angle changes, and a motor that simply refused to stop. India, for once, weren't carried by a single messiah. This was a relay of heroes. Nearly a dozen different players stood up at different moments—a hallmark of healthy team dynamics. As Rahul, one of those heroes, put it after the final Test: 'This is where the change begins. This Indian team will win a lot more outside India in coming years.' TESTED AND TEMPEREDIn what finished as one of the best Test series of the 21st century, all five Test matches went down to the wire on the final day (the last time this happened was in the 2017-18 Ashes series in Australia). It wasn't just cricket, it was war, playing out one session at a time. And in that war, India proved they weren't just talented, they were tempered in six-run margin at The Oval separated a drawn series from a historic defeat. But its ripple effect may be far greater. Because had India lost 3-1, the knives would have been out, questions would have been raised: was Gill too green to lead? Had India moved on too soon from Kohli and Rohit Sharma? Could the IPL generation handle Test cricket's grind?But those knives have been sheathed, at least for now. A drawn series now feels like a triumph—because of the context, the fight and the promise it held. Perhaps the most lasting takeaway was the silence that fell like a blanket over the other side. There was hardly a mention of 'Bazball' all through the summer. England's reckless spirit had been laid bare. FUTURE READYAs India now gets into white-ball season, marked by the all-important T-20 World Cup early next year, they will do well to keep building on their Test squad for the future. For starters, what place will Jasprit Bumrah hold in it? The biggest match-winner in India's ranks, he has struggled with injuries in the recent past, a bequest of his unusual action. That means India needs to manage his workload carefully or run the risk of losing him for even white-ball cricket. Not having him for two of the three Tests in England did hamper India's plans for the hosts. Perhaps, then, it's time to look beyond Bumrah in the game's longest format. This would allow more clarity when making pre-series plans and also enable Bumrah to operate at his optimum at other international cricket this would only be possible if the BCCI can get a pool of pacers that can handle the rigours of five-day cricket, especially in this age of batter-friendly pitches. Not too long ago, under Kohli, India had a pace-pack that was the envy of the world, featuring the likes of Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah. In Siraj, Prasidh, Akash Deep, Arshdeep and, possibly, Mukesh Kumar and Harshit Rana, Gill has the opportunity to recreate such a posse. An uninterrupted run, backed by the team management, is all that is next question is over the No. 3 position, and India is still searching for an answer on this. It's a coveted spot held previously by renowned names such as Gundappa Vishwanath, Dilip Vengsarkar, Mohammed Azharuddin, Rahul Dravid and Cheteshwar Pujara. Unfortunately, Karun Nair and Sai Sudharshan have failed to grab the opportunities provided in England. So, does India repose faith in Sudharshan or do they look elsewhere, return to the reasonably successful Sarfaraz Khan perhaps?India's next series is at home against the West Indies, followed by another domestic two-match series with South Africa, the current World Test Champions—a perfect opportunity to test the applicants. The England tour has built a young team full of character. It wasn't just a Test series, it was a rite of passage. From boys to men. nSHUBMAN GILLCaptain; Right-handed batsman What the world saw as a young, inexperienced side was deemed by coach Gautam Gambhir as a 'gun team'. And in that squad, only Shubman Gill could have taken on the role of the tank gunner. In his first stint as captain and No.4 bat, Gill scored a century and followed it up with two stellar knocks of 269 and 161 in Edgbaston, setting India up for a comprehensive win. When he faltered at Lord's, so did India. But it was the series-saving century in Old Trafford that demonstrated he could handle pressure and step up when it mattered most. With each passing match, Gill settled in, showing his ease at taking on dual responsibilities. 'I have more clarity on the areas that we need to work on as a team and as a captain,' he said at the conclusion of the series. 'I was thinking more for the team, which helped me to take the pressure off myself.' This consummate self-awareness offers proof that the future of Indian cricket is in safe, reliable hands. It helps that they also unleash strokes that run bowlers ragged.—Suhani SinghYASHASVI JAISWALLeft-handed batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal plays cricket with fearless exuberance. A prodigy forged on the unforgiving maidans of Mumbai, in England, he faced his first true test against quality seam bowling with the Dukes ball—and emerged with distinction. He amassed 411 runs at an average of 41.10, with two centuries and two half-centuries. His 101 at Leeds came after weathering a hostile opening burst. His second, a measured, second innings 118 at The Oval during the series decider, showcased his growing maturity. It was a spring-loaded innings of grit. Occasionally undone by early swing, he never retreated into a shell. The touch of rawness in his technique is counterbalanced by natural timing and an electric sense of purpose. A luminous career awaits him.—Amitabh SrivastavaMOHAMMED SIRAJRight-arm fast bowler The destiny's child of the India-England Test series, Siraj was the protagonist of some of its key moments—the brazen brush against Ben Duckett after dismissing him at Lord's; his crestfallen state after the ball rolled back to dislodge the bails on day five of the same game, giving England a 2-1 lead; the botched catch of Harry Brook on the boundary on day four of the fifth Test that nearly handed England the match. It seemed fate was playing a cruel game with the 31-year-old Hyderabadi. But 'BELIEVE' is not just a screenshot on his phone,it's part of his DNA. Siraj never stopped believing in himself. With Bumrah sitting out two Tests, Siraj had to lead India's pace attack. He stepped up—1,122 balls to be precise—and has 23 wickets to show for it. 'You play for the don't think too much on how many overs [you] bowled," he said after the final Test at The Oval was won, and he was named Player of the Match for his nine wickets. It is befitting then that Siraj had his moment of glory. In him, a nation now believes.—Suhani SinghRAVINDRA JADEJALeft-handed batsman/ bowler Ravindra Jadeja has long defied easy definition. Once caricatured for his flamboyance and nicknamed 'Sir Jadeja', he has transformed into one of Indian cricket's most valuable assets. At 36, he has completed perhaps his most defining series as a batting all-rounder—compiling 516 runs at an average of 86.00—the highest among all batsmen. Batting mostly at No.6 or lower, he scored either a half-century or century in four matches. His unbeaten 107 in Manchester was a masterclass—with India staring down the barrel, Jadeja's composure and craft salvaged a draw. Innings after innings, he shepherded the tail, absorbed pressure, offered lower-order muscle. With the ball, he claimed 7 wickets—modest returns by his standards—but his ability to hold up one end allowed India's pace attack to operate in shorter, more incisive bursts. In a summer of bold narratives, Sir Jadeja's mastery stitched India's campaign together. He didn't just contribute, he punched above his weight. —Amitabh Srivastava—Amitabh SrivastavaK.L. RAHULRight-handed batsman Kananur Lokesh Rahul embodies the understated grace of India's batting tradition. His supple wrists and acute judgement outside off stump allow him to adapt across formats and batting positions. In the fierce cauldron of the Test series against England, Rahul reaffirmed his class with 532 runs at an average of 53.20—including two masterful centuries and two crucial half-centuries. He was India's batting metronome—measured in defence, precise in strokeplay. Moreover, it was the manner in which he absorbed pressure and built partnerships that defined his contribution. Rahul's ability to read conditions and guide younger players is a hallmark of his maturity. Also, compared to his modest career average of 35.41, Rahul is clearly in a higher orbit now, vis-a-vis consistency and impact. He was one of only two players in the series to face over 1,000 deliveries, underlining both his patience and resolve.—Amitabh SrivastavaSubscribe to India Today Magazine- EndsTune InMust Watch
