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The Independent
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
The Ben Stokes revival spearheading England's charge at Old Trafford
Ben Stokes raised the ball that he had swung to dismiss Anshul Kamboj for a duck. Stokes has received plenty of applause and acclaim in the last few years, but never for this. The days when he took five wickets in an innings seemed consigned to the past; sometimes he didn't take five in a series. A day that featured a terrific opening partnership between Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley was shaped by the bowling double act of Jofra Archer and Stokes. The England captain was in fine company in another respect. Only Garry Sobers, Ian Botham and Jacques Kallis had made at least 10 Test centuries and got a minimum of five five-wicket hauls. Now Stokes is the fourth all-rounder in a select group. At a point in his career when he has gone two years without a Test hundred, his revival as a bowler was cemented with a landmark. Stokes being Stokes, it came when it mattered. England have the advantage heading into day three, just as their series lead owes much to Stokes' efforts with the ball at Lord's. He has been England's best bowler this series. He swings it more than Brydon Carse. He is quicker than Chris Woakes. He may be more durable than Jofra Archer. His first wicket of the Test was his biggest, Shubman Gill trapped leg before wicket without playing a shot. Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar were both caught at long leg but Stokes has the pace to bounce them. Shardul Tharkur was brilliantly held by Duckett in the gully. Kamboj got a beauty. He finished with 24-3-72-5, the last number significant, but the first as well. Stokes bowled 24 overs in the second innings at Lord's, 24 in the first at Old Trafford. It is becoming a regular workload. He has never bowled more overs in a series and he has three more innings to go. He has never taken more wickets in a series, his 16 beating the 15 he took in his first. But, after Liam Dawson 's first Test wicket since 2017, came Stokes' first five-wicket haul for eight years. His 6-22 against West Indies was before his World Cup final and Headingley 2019 heroics, before Bristol and Bazball. At 34, he has rewound the clock. In recent years, there were matches where Stokes didn't bowl, others where he was very much the fifth bowler. He had knee and hamstring injuries. He entered his mid-thirties. Even given Stokes' propensity for the unexpected, few envisaged this bowling comeback. Now he has drawn level with Darren Gough on 229 Test wickets; he may pass Sobers by the end of the series. It helped that he had support. He and Archer shared the six wickets to fall on Thursday. Archer, with his wonderful record against left-handers, dismissed Ravindra Jadeja, courtesy of a terrific catch from Harry Brook, and removed the off stump of Rishabh Pant, India's limping Lazarus, with a glorious delivery. Yet India's total of 358 had felt above par until England batted, before the deficit was under 200 when they still had their openers together and just 133 at the close, with Ollie Pope and Joe Root together at 225-2. The conditions were better for England, with cloud cover when they bowled and the sun emerging when they batted. Yet England also bowled better. India were too wayward with the new ball, with even Jasprit Bumrah less menacing than usual, allowing England to rattle along at more than five an over. Duckett raced away at better than a run a ball, getting 26 before Crawley was off the mark. Yet he overtook his partner in the evening session. Crawley, back on the scene of his 189 in the Ashes, enjoyed Old Trafford again. He had one reprieve, when he didn't play a shot against Mohammed Siraj and was rapped on the pads. Otherwise, it was the sort of innings to explain England's unwavering faith in him and to invite questions why a player with such strokeplay barely averages 30. There was, though, no century for either, Crawley on 84 edging Jadeja to KL Rahul at slip, Duckett taking a swipe to give Kamboj his maiden Test wicket. Gone for 94, his conversion rate remains too low, but his attacking bent makes him invaluable. Duckett had set the tone, taking three boundaries from the debutant Kamboj's first over. Shubman Gill's surprise decision to give the newcomer the new ball backfired. Mohammed Siraj had struck early in three of the previous four innings and he was relegated to first change. By then, Duckett had seized the initiative. By the time Kamboj eventually struck, England were only 161 behind. It was the second time in the series that Crawley and Duckett had added more than 150. Their stand of 188 at Headingley laid the platform for victory. It is too soon to say this was a sequel. But if it is, it may need another influential display from the bowler Stokes may be coming to trust the most. Himself.
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First Post
15-07-2025
- Sport
- First Post
Ganguly joins chorus expressing disappointment over India's failed run-chase at Lord's: 'Especially with quality of…'
India surrendered the series lead to England once again after suffering a 22-run defeat in their chase of the 193-run target at Lord's on Monday. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly was the latest Indian cricketer to react to the result at the 'Home of Cricket'. read more Former India captain Sourav Ganguly praised Ravindra Jadeja for his fight on the final day of the Lord's Test but was disappointed with the result. Reuters/PTI Former India captain Sourav Ganguly was among those expressing disappointment at the Shubman Gill-led side's inability to chase down 193 in the third Test at Lord's on Monday. India surrendered the series lead to the Ben Stokes-led English team once again after suffering a 22-run defeat at the 'Home of Cricket'. What's more, a majority of senior batters including captain Shubman Gill failed to deliver under pressure and was it was left to all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and the rest of the lower-order to get India within touching distance of the target. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Also Read | Jadeja deserved his own Headingley 2019 moment at Lord's, but India just could not muster enough resolve Ganguly, one of India's greatest captains as well as batters, felt India should have got over the line at the iconic venue, especially with the 'quality of batsmanship' that they possess in their ranks. 'A little bit disappointed with the way India batted in this series, they should have got this 190,' remarked Ganguly at the Indian Racing League & F4 India Championship event here on Tuesday. 'When you see Jadeja fight and score the runs, and the batting quality in this team, they will be more disappointed than I am because it was an opportunity to get 2-1 up in the series against England. 'I am sure that they will be disappointed not getting to 190 especially with the quality of batsmanship they have in that dressing room,' 'Dada' added. What Gavaskar and Kumble had said on Jadeja and India's chase Ganguly was by no means the only former Indian cricketer reacting to the Lord's result with disappointment. Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar had earlier stated that Jadeja could have taken a few more chances against off-spinners Shoaib Bashir and Joe Root while batting cautiously against the red-hot quicks. 'You could say that Jadeja could have taken the odd chance and not necessarily the aerial route when Joe Root and Shoaib Bashir was bowling. But full marks to him (Jadeja),' former India opener and captain Gavaskar said on Sony Sports. 'I thought when Bashir came to bowl, Jadeja could have taken a chance. The second time was when Bumrah was batting with him, because Stokes was fielding inside the circle at mid-off. So he could have scored a boundary there, especially when Joe Root was bowling. Later when Siraj came to bat, Stokes stationed himself near the boundary rope,' he added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Also Read | 'Captain wasn't the same...': Ex-India players point out mistakes that cost Lord's Test Spin legend Anil Kumble, Ganguly's former teammate, echoed Gavaskar's opinion, adding that a set Jadeja – collected a total of four boundaries and a six during his unbeaten 61 off 181 deliveries – could have also attacked seam-bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes. 'The two bowlers he could have potentially taken on were Chris Woakes, who is slightly slower in the air, and then Bashir and Joe Root. I know they're off-spinners taking the ball away, but it wasn't turning square. So there wasn't a lot to worry about in terms of spin or the outside edge. Jadeja has played on tougher pitches and against better bowling. I thought he could have taken a chance,' Kumble, also an ex-India captain, said. India travel to Manchester, where the fourth Test against England gets underway at Old Trafford on 23 July before returning to London for the fifth Test at The Oval starting 31 July. They find themselves facing a must-win situation in Manchester if they are to keep their hopes of a first Test series victory in England in 18 years alive. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
