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STUMP VISION JULY 25, 2025 | The Indian Eye 43

match within their grasp. Jadeja’s calm sure. Devdutt Padikkal has technique
defiance, Siraj’s uncharacteristic poise, but lacks fluency in away conditions.
and Bumrah’s resilience brought India
within 23 runs of a famous win. But it THE ROAD AHEAD
wasn’t enough.
ndia now trails 2-1 in the five-
AND THAT’S WHAT match series with two Tests to go
MADE IT BITTER. I— the next at Manchester and the
finale at The Oval. Momentum has
ritics and former players agree shifted to England, but this series has
that India’s top order lacks the shown that no lead is safe, no collapse
Cmental steel seen in past eras. inevitable.
The tendency to throw away starts The larger question remains: Can
— seen repeatedly in Shubman Gill, India find its new No. 3, or will the re-
Padikkal, and Sudharsan — has made volving door continue? Will the team
collapses more frequent. trust Bumrah to lead without restric-
England exploited this weakness tions? Can Gill, now batting at No. 4,
masterfully. A pitch offering little Rishabh Pant got hit on his left index finger during the Test at the Lord’s step up as Kohli’s successor?
lateral movement still saw India lose What’s certain is that Lord’s
six wickets in 18 overs. “The top or- in London (@BCCI X/ANI Photo) wasn’t just a Test lost. It was a message
der had just been a little tougher and delivered.
mentally stronger on Day 4, this game India’s domestic circuit offers op- youth? Karun Nair has failed to make If India wants to reclaim suprem-
would have been India’s,” Shastri ob- tions, but the selectors face a dilemma — the most of his comeback. Sudharsan acy in Tests, it needs more than flair. It
served. persist with experience or gamble with has promise but faltered under pres- needs grit, guts — and a rock at No. 3.

Is Ben Stokes a “modern Ian Botham”

ormer England assistant Ben is exactly the same,” he added.
coach Paul Farbrance hailed In three matches during the
Fskipper Ben Stokes for his ongoing home series against India,
performance during the Lord’s Test, Stokes has scored 163 runs in six in-
calling him a “leader of the peo- nings at an average of 27.16, with a
ple” and a “modern Ian Botham”. best score of 44. While a big score
Stokes was the ‘Player of the continues to elude him, he is En-
Match’ during the third Test win gland’s highest-wicket-taking bowl-
against India at Lord’s, scoring er, with 11 scalps at an average of
knocks of 44 and 33 in the match 29.45 and best bowling figures of 4/66.
and taking five wickets. One of his Ben is indeed a man of big
most impactful moments in the moments, be it his 84 against New
game was running out Rishabh Pant Zealand in the 2019 ICC Cricket
for 74 during the first session on World Cup, his half-century during
day three, denying India a chance the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 or his
at a lead despite a fine show from lone-warrior effort of 135* at Head-
the lower-order. During the run- ingley back in 2019, Stokes has had
chase of 193 runs by India, Stokes multiple instances of winning big
made an impact by cleaning up Ben Stokes (left) flips the coin as Shubhman Gill looks on (@BCCI X/ANI Photo) matches for his side and guiding
nightwatchman Akash Deep near them to trophies.
the end of day four. Later, during media laughed and said, do not be ri- and motivated. Farbrance hailed Stokes for
the start of day five, he bowled a diculous. You know, I know that when “The way he was in the field, the “dragging his team” in the Lord’s
lengthy spell, removing KL Rahul, I was involved with the England team, run out of Pant just before lunch, you Test and said that the match has
who could have anchored the team the more responsibility you give Ben, know, when they were trying to get Ra- shut down all the noises around the
to a win despite the batting line-up the better he reacts to that, and he is hul on strike to get his hundred before current England Test team not be-
thinning with each wicket. an absolute leader.” lunch. I mean, that really swung the ing about winning but focusing on
Speaking on Sky Sports, Far- “When Ben is doing anything, game England’s way. And Ben is ca- entertaining through their attacking
brance said about Ben, “The great people want to be part of it. They want pable of that. You know, he is a game ‘Bazball’ brand of cricket.
thing about Ben is that he is a lead- to be with him. And I am not saying changer, and it is great to see him fully “Goodness me, the fire in
er. Forget captaincy and, you know, that he is not a good tactical captain. I fit. It is great to see him with the ball in their bellies, the way that they ap-
the tactical side of captaincy. Ben is am not saying that for one minute, but his hand running in because when he proached this game, you know, it
an absolute leader.” he is an absolute leader. He’s a leader runs in, he bowls genuine wicket-taking was a feisty test match from start
“And when Trevor Bayliss of people,” he continued. balls. He’s a game changer. You know, to finish. And as long as, you know,
(ex-England coach) suggested that The ex-England assistant coach he is our modern Ian Botham (ex-En- there is not too much of a cost in the
Trevor said at the time that Ben also hailed Stokes for steaming in hard gland all-rounder). Both of them used line, then absolutely you want to see
could be the next captain of En- while delivering his bowling spells at to change the game. He used to get that. You want to see people playing
gland, a lot of people in the English Lord’s and keeping his team uplifted people out of the bars to watch him. the game hard and tough.

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