England’s Test captain, Ben Stokes, said Jofra Archer’s quick bowling early on was key to their 22-run victory against India on Monday at Lord’s. It set the stage for the win.
Stokes recalled that England won their first ODI World Cup on the same date, July 14th, at Lord’s six years ago. Following five hard days, England celebrated again. India needed 135 runs with six wickets in hand to win the series.
With a new ball, Stokes chose Archer and Brydon Carse to bowl. With KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant batting, Stokes wanted Archer to start strong. Archer got Pant out with a fast ball, opening the door for England.
Stokes then got Rahul out, and Archer quickly took another wicket, leaving India struggling at 82/7.
Stokes said he trusted his gut feeling in picking Archer over Carse because of Archer’s past success in the 2019 World Cup.
It was an incredible finish. The date reminded me of our 2019 World Cup win. I had a feeling Jofra would do something special, and he did, taking two crucial wickets. It was a tough call, we discussed it, Stokes said.
He admitted it was a difficult choice because Carse had bowled well the previous evening, dismissing Karun Nair and India’s captain, Shubman Gill.
Brydon bowled amazingly last night, he was energetic and in rhythm, but I went with my gut. It’s Jof’s first match back, and sometimes you have to trust your instincts. It’s great to have him back. When he bowls fast, it changes the game. He did a great job, especially after a tough week, he added.
Stokes praised his team’s bowling and his own performance, having bowled 44 overs and taken five wickets. He said he was exhausted and looking forward to resting before the next Test in Manchester.
I thought I’d pushed myself hard before, but bowling to win a Test for your country is something else. And Bashir, playing with a broken hand, showed real courage with his batting and then taking the final wicket, he said.
It was a tight match between two good teams. I’m looking forward to resting before Manchester, he added.
Despite India’s struggles, Ravindra Jadeja fought hard, and he and Jasprit Bumrah kept the game alive for 22 overs. Bumrah was eventually caught out, and Mohammed Siraj’s effort ended when he was bowled by Bashir.