ENG vs IND 2025: 'Stokes faces his toughest challenge yet' - Michael Atherton ahead of Lord's Test
"“In the three years that Ben Stokes has captained England, it is hard to think that he has faced a sterner challenge than over the next two days..." wrote Atherton in a recent column.
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Former England cricketer Michael Atherton believes that Ben Stokes will face his toughest challenge as captain, finding a way to motivate his players ahead of the Lord’s Test following a heavy defeat at Edgbaston against India in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Leading into the series, much of the media chatter in England had centered around the Ashes, with several former players treating the India series as just preparation for the marquee series against Australia. However, the narrative has shifted dramatically after the 336-run loss in Birmingham, making the remainder of the series far more significant.
“In the three years that Ben Stokes has captained England, it is hard to think that he has faced a sterner challenge than over the next two days, as he contemplates how to lift his players for the third Test at Lord’s. It will be a massive test of his leadership, and his own mental and physical resilience,” Atherton wrote in his The Times column.
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Atherton underlined the importance of the next two days leading up to the third Test at Lord’s, suggesting they could be pivotal for England’s response under Stokes’ leadership. He referenced Stokes’ own words prior to the second Test, using them to highlight the contrast in England’s performance. He described the heavy defeat at Edgbaston as punishment for England’s approach. The former England captain also called for a couple of changes to the playing XI for the Lord’s Test.
“It is not hard to imagine, then, how he must be feeling now. There was a gap of seven days between the first and second Tests... The three days that Stokes used to shut himself off from the world after Leeds for his own benefit, are essentially the days he must use now to rally his players. His workload at Edgbaston was not dissimilar,” Atherton wrote.
“He spent 25 overs longer in the field; he bowled nine overs fewer and batted 16 minutes less. Defeat, of course, exacerbates matters. If he was feeling knackered after a win at Leeds and with a seven-day break, how must he have been feeling on Monday morning with the Lord’s Test three days away?,” he added.
Jofra Archer is on the comeback trail from injury, while fellow pacer Gus Atkinson is also nearing full fitness after being sidelined for six weeks with a hamstring issue sustained against Zimbabwe. Atkinson’s return could be a timely boost for England, especially given his impressive record at Lord’s, where he has claimed 19 wickets at an average of just 10.94 from two Test matches.
“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.
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