Stokes cajoles another England classic for the ages

Ben Stokes knew the date. How could he not?

For 14 July must be etched into his soul - the day in 2019 he wrote his name into British sporting folklore.

While Stokes was winning the World Cup for England at Lord's, he had the presence of mind to counsel a young Jofra Archer, about to deliver the decisive super over, barely two months into life as an international cricketer.

"Today does not define you," Stokes famously said. Archer took it to heart. When they were back at the same ground six years later to the day on Monday, a nipper of a third Test against India to win, the pace bowler did not realise the significance.

"I said to him this morning, 'you know what today is, don't you?'," said Stokes.

Archer instead thought it was the anniversary of a famous one-dayer at Lord's played in 2002, an India win celebrated by Sourav Ganguly twirling his shirt above his head.

"He thought that was the World Cup final. He thought that was six years today," added Stokes. "I was like, 'no, that World Cup we won?' He was like, 'oh that one'. He's an absolute beauty, that boy."

Archer can be forgiven. In four years away from Test cricket, dates probably lose importance. If the tension-wracked 22-run defeat of India is most remembered as the match when Archer made his electrifying and triumphant return, those who saw it will know it was orchestrated by Stokes.

The England captain could not have given more. The sweat that glistened on his arms and soaked his shirt as he bowled in the baking heat of Saturday. The, erm, anatomy he risked when struck by Mohammed Siraj on Sunday. The blood seeping through his left sock after another Herculean effort with the ball in Monday's finale.

"I don't want to see a pair of them for a while," said Stokes as he was presented with his bowling boots after finishing his media duties.

On the first evening, when Stokes hobbled around with what appeared to be a groin problem, his performance was convincing enough to draw concerns he might have done himself a serious mischief. On Monday, there were concerns he would never stop bowling.

These marathon spells, once a Stokes trademark, were supposed to be a thing of the past after having both his left knee and hamstring surgically repaired.

On the third evening, Brendon McCullum, possibly the only human on the planet that Stokes would dare not defy, sent Tim Southee to tell the captain to stop bowling after a seven-over stint. Southee, wide grin doing nothing to hide his nerves, did as he was told. So did Stokes.

On Monday, McCullum would have had to march on to the field to prise the ball from Stokes' hand. A first spell of 9.2 overs, including the wicket of the immovable KL Rahul. A second spell of 10 overs, just as England were getting twitchy and India number 10 Jasprit Bumrah was blocking like Geoffrey Boycott. Stokes bounced him out.

"Today was going to be my decision on when I stopped bowling," said Stokes. "I'm pretty cooked. Bowling to win a Test match for your country on day five, if that doesn't get you going, I don't know what will."

Stokes' value as a cricketer will never be explained by statistics alone, even though his statistics are supersonic. Only two other men have done the Test double of 6,000 runs and 200 wickets, bona fide legends in Jacques Kallis and Garfield Sobers.

Stokes is better understood through the moments he creates. At Lord's there were more than usual. The crucial direct-hit run out of Rishabh Pant in India's first innings, knocking over Akash Deep with the final ball of the fourth day, the same day he created a photographer's dream of lying prostrate on the pitch after the blow to the unmentionables.

On the fifth day, it was turning his body into an X to appeal for the lbw against Rahul, then willing sub fielder Sam Cook to take the catch as Bumrah's miscue hung in the air. When Shoaib Bashir bowled last man Siraj and tore off in the direction of St John's Wood underground station, Stokes was too exhausted to join the rest of the England team in running after him.

There is the question hanging over his batting, which is still experiencing a stodgy search for rhythm, especially against spin. Contributions of 44 and 33 were important, but the latter was interesting for what it did not include, rather than what it did.

With England struggling to build their lead in the second innings, wickets were falling on a difficult surface. There was the anticipation of Stokes flicking his 'switch', finding the mode that turns fielders into spectators and spectators into fielders. It never came. The switch is harder to locate these days, like feeling around the wall when the lights are off.

Stokes' last Test hundred came at Lord's, two years ago, a day when the switch definitely was flicked after Alex Carey's controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow in the second Ashes Test.

On that occasion, England used the needle between themselves and the Australians to come from 2-0 down and draw the series. Same venue, more needle, this time between England and India, sparked on Saturday evening and smouldering across the following two days. England looked a better team with fire in their bellies.

"Sometimes it just brings out another side of a team," said Stokes.

England will need their inner mongrel in Australia, Stokes included. The Australian public has yet to see him at his alpha best. He was a youngster on his first tour in 2013-14, missed 2017-18 because of the Bristol incident and was just returning from a break from cricket in 2021-22. Later this year, England need him to be Douglas Jardine, Ian Botham and Mike Brearley all rolled into one.

They will also need Archer, and the dynamic between fast bowler and captain is likely to be entertaining if Lord's is anything to go by.

On Friday, as Archer was into his ferocious comeback spell, Stokes tried to take him off, only for Archer to hold up a finger that signalled one more over. Stokes relented.

On Monday morning, Archer indicated he was done, but the captain coaxed another out of his strike bowler. Stokes gave Archer an arm around the shoulder at drinks by way of thanks.

In between, there was an on-field exchange of ideas on Sunday over where Archer wanted Stokes in the field.

"I was at leg slip, and he wanted me to move to mid-on, just so he could talk to me," said Stokes. "He wanted Brydon Carse to go to leg slip, but I wasn't trusting Carsey at leg slip."

At the end of it all, England find themselves 2-1 up with two to play, on the verge of a first win in a five-Test series in seven years.

Familiar doubts over Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley linger, while Bashir's broken finger presents an unexpected audition for another spinner to usurp him as England's number one.

India might wonder how they are behind - they have had chances to be 3-0 up. There is a dilemma over when magician Bumrah will next play, while captain Shubman Gill could help himself by winning the toss - he has called incorrectly on all three occasions.

Stokes is the man flicking the coin. Right now, there is little he is doing wrong.