ENG vs IND 3rd Test: Stokes reveals Archer's hilarious mixup of dates involving Ganguly's shirt swinging at Lord's

The Hindu

15-07-2025

England captain Ben Stokes revealed that bowler Jofra Archer thought that Sourav Ganguly's iconic shirt-swinging on the Lord's balcony was just six years to the day of the final day of the third Test against India on Monday (July 14, 2025).
England defeated India by 22 runs in a close contest, thanks to a dream spell by the returning Archer, but the England skipper shared that the bowler got the dates confused ahead of the day's play.
Stokes attempted to remind Archer that it was exactly six years ago that England beat New Zealand in the nail-biting ODI World Cup final in which both players featured, but Archer thought he was referring to Ganguly's celebration at the same venue.
'I just said to him (Archer) this morning, 'You know what today is?' There was that highlight package from when India knocked off like 300 odd back in the day, when Ganguly (gestures the shirt waving)... he thought that was the World Cup final as well. He thought that was six years today. Genuine.
'I was like, no. That World Cup that we won. He was, 'Oh, that one.' Absolute beauty, that boy.'
Ganguly had taken off his shirt to celebrate India's win in the high-voltage NatWest Trophy final in 2002, and it remains one of the most dramatic moments in international cricket to this date.
Stokes-Archer connection
Stokes was very mindful of England's World Cup win in 2019 on this day.
"We knew that turning up this morning was genuinely the reason why we went with me and Jof (Archer). It felt right in my tummy that Jof was gonna do something this morning to break the game open.
"Gut feel doesn't always work, but those two wickets he got this morning obviously swung the game massively in our favour."
The England captain has supported the rather injury-prone Archer wholeheartedly and they also share a special bond. It was evident on the field in the morning session.
"So he wanted me to come to mid-on and (Brydon) Carsey to go to leg slip so he could talk to me. But I didn't trust Carsey at leg slip, to be honest," said Stokes.
Man of the match for Stokes
Stokes got the player of the match award for leading from the front. Fresh off an injury comeback, Stokes completed spells of 9.2 overs and 10 overs in his bid to maintain pressure on India.
Despite his workload in the game, Stokes said he would be fine for the fourth Test beginning in Manchester on July 23.
"I'll be absolutely sound for Manchester. It's a big break. Obviously, I was pretty tired after Headingley. But, yeah, after we walked off the field there, sort of a whole new level of tiredness hit.
"And it's obviously different when you're ... I've been in games like that before, not as a captain, where I've been given the ball to run in and try to bowl the team to victory.
"But then now, adding on the decision making around bowling changes, field placings, how I feel we're gonna get this win. Obviously, there's a physical element of bowling in the fourth innings, but then it shouldn't be underestimated how the emotional and mental tiredness does also get you as well," he said.
On heated exchanges
Stokes was expectedly asked about the heated exchanges and sledging by players of both teams throughout the game, but he did not read too much into it.
"I think in a big series like this there was always going to be a moment where the two teams were going to clash. I'm all for it as long as it does not cross the line," he said.
"If you think about it, it's 22 people out there playing for their country. The highest honour you can have in our sport. So, you can understand that sometimes emotions and tensions can get quite high," he added.
He also does not expect players to be particularly affected by the on-field skirmishes.
"...I don't think anyone in the Indian dressing room or anyone in the English dressing room is going to cry themselves to sleep over what was said or done out there. I don't think it overstepped the line from the India team or from our team," he said.
"It wasn't really boiling up... it just happened but it adds to the spectacle of England vs India doesn't it?," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)