TimesofIndia.com in London: England captain Ben Stokes on Sunday added a touch of humour and history to the drama at Lord’s after a thrilling 22-run win over India in the third Test. Reflecting on the occasion, Stokes revealed that Jofra Archer had been watching highlights of Sourav Ganguly famously waving his shirt on the Lord’s balcony, an iconic scene from India’s iconic NatWest final win in 2002. “Archer was seein highlights of Ganguly waving shirt. He thought that was World Cup final. I told him no, the World Cup final we won,” Stokes told reporters, referring to England’s 2019 ODI World Cup triumph, also played at Lord’s on the same date, July 14.Chasing 193, India were bowled out for 170 despite a valiant effort from Ravindra Jadeja, who remained unbeaten on 61. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Starting the day at 58/4, India needed something special, but quick wickets in the morning all but sealed their fate.KL Rahul stood firm for a gritty 39, but his dismissal to Stokes, via a successful DRS, dented India’s chase. Rishabh Pant, visibly in pain due to a finger injury, was castled by a sharp Archer delivery that turned the tide definitively in England’s favour.Stokes revealed he had a “gut feeling” about opening the day with Archer: “Had that gut feeling. That’s why opened the bowling with Jofra Archer and he swung the game for us,” he said.
Poll
Do you believe India can bounce back in the fourth Test?
Both Stokes and Archer picked up five wickets in the match, delivering under pressure on a worn surface. Shoaib Bashir fittingly claimed the final wicket, sparking jubilant scenes and a standing ovation from the Lord’s crowd.“When did I bowl 45 overs in a Test match? Big day today… game on the line. We threw a lot at their batting with the seam. It was great that Bashir was able to get the last wicket,” Stokes continued.Shoaib Bashir, carrying a finger injury, could miss the next game and may even miss the remainder of the series. Heaping praise on Joe Root, the skipper added: “Joe Root is the best batter in the world in all conditions. We thought 190 was going to be tough to chase.”Jadeja’s fourth successive Test fifty and late resistance with Bumrah and Siraj gave India hope, but the mountain proved too steep.With this result, England take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. The fourth Test begins on July 23 in Manchester, where India will look to bounce back and keep the series alive.
