After a crushing loss to India in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Edgbaston, former England cricketer Michael Atherton thinks Ben Stokes will have his hardest task as captain: inspiring his team before the Lord’s Test.
The Ashes had been the subject of most of the media attention in England prior to the series, with several former players viewing the India series as only a warm-up for the highly anticipated series against Australia. But after the 336-run defeat in Birmingham, the story has taken a big turn, making the rest of the series much more important.
It is difficult to imagine Ben Stokes having faced a more difficult task in his three years as England’s captain than the two days ahead, as he considers how to motivate his team for the third Test match at Lord’s. His leadership skills as well as his physical and mental fortitude will be put to the ultimate test,” Atherton wrote in his column for The Times.
Before the second Test, he cited Stokes’ own remarks to emphasise the disparity in England’s performance.
The next two days before the third Test at Lord’s are crucial, according to Atherton, who also hinted that Stokes’ leadership of England’s reaction may depend on them. He explained the crushing loss at Edgbaston as retribution for England’s strategy. For the Lord’s Test, the former England captain also demanded a few adjustments to the starting lineup.
Therefore, it is easy to imagine how he must be feeling right now. The first and second Tests were separated by seven days. Stokes must now effectively use the three days he used to isolate himself from the outside world following Leeds for his own good in order to motivate his team. “He had a similar workload at Edgbaston,” Atherton wrote.
He batted 16 minutes shorter, bowled nine fewer overs and spent 25 more overs in the field. Of course, defeat makes things worse. How must he have felt on Monday morning with the Lord’s Test three days away if he was exhausted following a victory at Leeds and a seven-day break? he continued.
While fellow bowler Gus Atkinson is also very close to full fitness after missing six weeks due to a hamstring strain acquired against Zimbabwe, Jofra Archer is making a full recovery from his ailment. Given his stellar record at Lord’s, where he has taken 19 wickets at an average of just 10.94 from two Test matches, Atkinson’s return might be a welcome boost for England.
“I would stick with the batting and change up the seam attack by replacing Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse with [Jofra] Archer and [Gus] Atkinson,” Atherton said.