London [UK], July 14 : England Test captain Ben Stokes classified tearaway Jofra Archer's blistering spell in the opening hour as the moment that cracked open the game for them and laid the foundation of 22-run victory on the final day of the third Test at Lord's on Monday.
On July 14, 2019, England lifted their maiden ODI World Cup title at the 'Home of Cricket'. Fast forward six years, England felt euphoria after five days of hard work, grit and resilience. On the final day, the equation remained simple: England needed six wickets to cross the line while India stood 135 runs shy of chasing the 193-run target and taking a firm grip on the series.
With the ball relatively new, Stokes had Archer and Brydon Carse at his disposal. With KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant occupying the crease, Stokes decided to bowl in tandem with Archer to set the tempo of the day. Archer found his mojo and rhythm to draw first blood. With a searing delivery, he flattened Pant's (9) off stump to open the floodgates.
Stokes trapped Rahul (39) in front of the stumps, and Archer rattled India again by luring Washington Sundar to cushion the ball back to him for a four-ball duck. The fiery spell left the beleaguered India tottering at 82/7.
The England skipper revealed that it was an instinctive feeling to pick Archer ahead of Carse. For Stokes, the 30-year-old's exploits during England's 2019 World Cup triumph certainly influenced his decision.
"It was an extraordinary finish. It was actually part of the reason I went with Jof and myself this morning, one of those feelings, what is it, 6 years now to the day (2019 WC win). Jof played a major role in that, just had one of those feelings he would do something special, and he cracked the game open with two wickets. It wasn't an easy call; there was a bit of discussion in the dressing room," Stokes said in the post-match presentation.
The dilemma was massive for Stokes, considering Carse had breathed fire in the final session of the fourth day. He nipped the ball sharply back in to remove Karun Nair (14) and India captain Shubman Gill (6).
"Brydon (Carse) had an amazing spell last night, he was charging in and had great rhythm, but it was a gut feeling. Jof's first match back in the Test team, and sometimes your gut works. It is awesome to have him back. When he turns it on and the speeds come up on the screen, the feeling in the game changes. What an amazing job to get through the overs, first time out, tough week, but he got some crucial wickets," he added.
While England's bowling unit sang in harmony, Stokes was the one who consistently struck the right notes. He bowled 44 overs in the Test and scythed five wickets, including three in the second innings. After bearing the massive brunt of finding the breakthroughs, Stokes is looking forward to staying in his bed for the next four days, before the Manchester Test begins next week.
"I thought I had taken myself to some pretty dark places before. But today, bowling to win a Test match for your country.. If that doesn't get you going, then I don't know what does. Bashir, broken hand, going out there and taking responsibility with the bat, then coming out and picking up the last wicket, absolute warrior to do that for the team," he said.
"It was always going to be the way: two very good teams going at it. We went toe to toe again. I am not going to lie. I cannot wait to lie in my bed for four days and then be raring to go for Manchester," he added.
Despite the odds stacked against India, Ravindra Jadeja (61*) battled with his sheer class and kept the contest alive by stitching up a valuable stand with Jasprit Bumrah. The duo withstood England for 22 overs before Bumrah holed it to Sam Cook. Mohammed Siraj kept India alive with everything he had in his batting arsenal before enduring a heartbreak after getting bowled by Bashir.