Former England cricketer Michael Atherton feels Ben Stokes will face his most difficult assignment as captain, finding a method to excite his players ahead of the Lord’s Test after a crushing defeat at Edgbaston against India in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Leading up to the series, much of the media coverage in England had focused on the Ashes, with numerous former players viewing the India series as mere preparation for the headline series against Australia. However, the narrative has shifted considerably after the 336-run loss in Birmingham, making the rest of the series far more important.
“In the three years that Ben Stokes has captained England, it is difficult to imagine a tougher job than the next two days, as he considers how to motivate his players for the third Test at Lord’s. Atherton wrote in his The Times column that it will be a huge test of his leadership, as well as his own mental and physical resilience.
Michael Atherton emphasised the importance of the next two days building up to the third Test at Lord’s, claiming they might be critical to England’s response under Stokes’ leadership.
He used Stokes’ own statements before the second Test to emphasise the disparity in England’s performance. He saw the crushing setback at Edgbaston as retribution for England’s approach. The former England captain also suggested a few alterations to the Lord’s Test lineup.
“It’s not hard to understand how he’s feeling right now. There was a seven-day hiatus between the first and second Tests… Stokes used to lock himself off from the world after Leeds for his own sake, and those three days are exactly what he needs now to motivate his players. His workload at Edgbaston was not dissimilar,” Atherton stated.
“He spent 25 overs more in the field, bowled nine overs fewer and batted 16 minutes less. Of course, defeat only makes problems worse. If he was exhausted after a victory over Leeds and a seven-day break, how could he have felt on Monday morning, with the Lord’s Test three days away?,” he continued.
Jofra Archer is on the mend from injury, and fellow pacer Gus Atkinson is also nearing full fitness after missing six weeks with a hamstring injury acquired against Zimbabwe. Atkinson’s comeback might be a timely boost for England, particularly given his outstanding record at Lord’s, where he has 19 wickets at an average of 10.94 in two Tests.
“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,” Atherton concluded.
India
