Stokes inspires England to defeat stubborn India in 3rd Test at Lords

This article was last updated on July 16, 2025

Canada: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…
USA: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…Third Rothesay Test, Lord’s (day five of five)

England 387 (Root 104, Carse 56, Smith 51; Bumrah 5-74) & 192 (Root 40; Sundar 4-22)

India 387 (Rahul 100, Pant 74, Jadeja 72; Woakes 3-84) & 170 (Jadeja 61*; Stokes 3-48, Archer 3-55)

England win by 22 runs and lead series 2-1

Ben Stokes knew the date. How could he not?

For 14 July must be etched into his soul – the day in 2019 he wrote his name into British sporting folklore.

While Stokes was winning the World Cup for England at Lord’s, he had the presence of mind to counsel a young Jofra Archer, about to deliver the decisive super over, barely two months into life as an international cricketer.

“Today does not define you,” Stokes famously said. Archer took it to heart. When they were back at the same ground six years later to the day on Monday, a nipper of a third Test against India to win, the pace bowler did not realise the significance.

“I said to him this morning, ‘you know what today is, don’t you?’,” said Stokes.

Archer instead thought it was the anniversary of a famous one-dayer at Lord’s played in 2002, an India win celebrated by Sourav Ganguly twirling his shirt above his head.

“He thought that was the World Cup final. He thought that was six years today,” added Stokes. “I was like, ‘no, that World Cup we won?’ He was like, ‘oh that one’. He’s an absolute beauty, that boy.”

Archer can be forgiven. In four years away from Test cricket, dates probably lose importance. If the tension-wracked 22-run defeat of India is most remembered as the match when Archer made his electrifying and triumphant return, those who saw it will know it was orchestrated by Stokes.

The England captain could not have given more. The sweat that glistened on his arms and soaked his shirt as he bowled in the baking heat of Saturday. The, erm, anatomy he risked when struck by Mohammed Siraj on Sunday. The blood seeping through his left sock after another Herculean effort with the ball in Monday’s finale.

“I don’t want to see a pair of them for a while,” said Stokes as he was presented with his bowling boots after finishing his media duties.

On the first evening, when Stokes hobbled around with what appeared to be a groin problem, his performance was convincing enough to draw concerns he might have done himself a serious mischief. On Monday, there were concerns he would never stop bowling.

These marathon spells, once a Stokes trademark, were supposed to be a thing of the past after having both his left knee and hamstring surgically repaired.

On the third evening, Brendon McCullum, possibly the only human on the planet that Stokes would dare not defy, sent Tim Southee to tell the captain to stop bowling after a seven-over stint. Southee, wide grin doing nothing to hide his nerves, did as he was told. So did Stokes.

On Monday, McCullum would have had to march on to the field to prise the ball from Stokes’ hand. A first spell of 9.2 overs, including the wicket of the immovable KL Rahul. A second spell of 10 overs, just as England were getting twitchy and India number 10 Jasprit Bumrah was blocking like Geoffrey Boycott. Stokes bounced him out.