The 151-run loss to Team India in the second Test at Lord’s was no less than a nightmare for England. Despite having the upper hand till the penultimate day, the hosts lost the contest after the unexpected happened – the Indian tail wagged and scripted history at the home of cricket.
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After going 8 down on the final day’s morning session, the duo of Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah got glued to the crease and stitched a record unbeaten 89-run stand for the 9th wicket. Team India set a 272-run target for Joe Root & Co. In reply, the hosts were bowled out for a paltry 120, handing a 1-0 lead to India.
Captain Root was the only man who got runs against his name while others wilted against the Indian attack. After observing the game closely, former India batting legend Sunil Gavaskar highlighted that the hosts missed someone like all-rounder Ben Stokes, who could have made a big difference.
In his latest column for The Telegraph India, Gavaskar wrote,
{{/usCountry}}In his latest column for The Telegraph India, Gavaskar wrote,
{{/usCountry}}“If I were Joe Root, I would be on the hooter to Ben Stokes and implore him to come back and play for he is the kind of impact player who can turn it around for England. Sadly someone who was born to play the game is unable to do so and that’s not just England’s misfortune but that of the cricketing world too, for players like Stokes are once-in-a-generation cricketers.”
Stokes pulled out of the Test series against India and others tournaments to follow as he has decided to take an indefinite break to focus on his mental health. At the same time, the team is also missing thes services of Jofra Archer who has been ruled out for the rest of the year due to a recurrence of a stress fracture on his right elbow.