England captain Ben Stokes led from the final day of the Lord’s Test against India as he bowled close to 20 overs. The all-rounder did not keep the ball down as he kept charging in to keep the visitors at bay.
He was eventually named the Player of the Match after England registered a 22-run win to go 2-1 up in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Stokes also played knocks of 44 and 33 in the Lord’s Test, and his all-round effort is the talk of the town.
Citing the example of Ben Stokes and how he bowled 9.2 and 10 overs in his two spells on the final day, former India pacer Irfan Pathan criticised the team management and captain Shubman Gill for not utilising Jasprit Bumrah enough.
Bumrah bowled 43 overs in the Lord’s Test. It also must be mentioned that the No.1-ranked Test bowler also dished out 43.4 overs in the series opener in Headingley. He was rested for the Edgbaston contest, which India won by 336 runs.
However, Pathan feels India should have gone for the kill and used Jasprit Bumrah to try to bundle out England cheaply in the first and second innings. Bumrah returned with a five-wicket haul in the first innings, during which England posted 387 runs on the board.
In the second innings, Bumrah returned with two wickets in 16 overs. Pathan feels the Indian pacer could have been brought earlier into the attack in the second innings, and one shouldn’t have waited for Joe Root to come out.
“Ben Stokes bowled a marathon 9.2 over spell in the morning on day five. What a player he is. He bowls, bats and executes a crucial run out of Rishabh Pant, but there is no talk of workload management. But with India, it is not like that. Bumrah bowls five overs and waits for Joe Root to come out to bat when you need to control the game in the second innings,” Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
“It was disappointing. His workload was managed, having not played at Edgbaston. When you play a match, there is no workload. You have to win at all costs. The Indian camp could have done that better,” he added.
‘Archer did not stop’
Irfan Pathan also lauded Jofra Archer for bowling a marathon spell on the final day of the Lord’s game despite playing a Test after four years.
Jofra Archer dismissed Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar on Day 5 to send India on the backfoot. Jofra Archer bowled with great speed, and his pace rattled the Indian middle and lower order.
“Archer was playing a Test match after four years, but he did not stop. He bowled a six-over spell in the morning before returning to bowl again. Ben Stokes did not think about workload at all, if he can bowl nine overs, hum toh peeche rah gaye (Indian pacers were left behind),” Pathan said.
India and England will next square off in the fourth Test of the five-match series in Manchester, beginning July 23.