Stokes Eyes England Fightback at Lord’s, Stays Silent on Personal Form.
England captain Ben Stokes has promised a strong comeback in the third Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Lord’s, starting July 10, as his team looks to bounce back from a crushing defeat in Birmingham. With the five-match series level at 1-1, Stokes said England would come hard at India, acknowledging the visitors’ dominant showing in the second Test.
“This was always going to be a series of momentum swings between two top teams. We’ve never taken India lightly and we won’t start now,” Stokes said on the eve of the Lord’s Test. “They hit back at Edgbaston, and now it’s our turn to respond.”
England stormed to victory in the series opener at Headingley with a record 371-run chase but were comprehensively outplayed at Edgbaston, losing by 336 runs. India’s pacers, Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj, exploited England’s frailties, while captain Shubman Gill tormented the hosts with twin centuries — 269 and 161 — on a flat pitch.
In response, England have recalled Jofra Archer, who returns to the Test side for the first time since 2021. The speedster, recovering from multiple injury setbacks, is expected to boost an attack that lacked intensity in Birmingham.
Form Questions Linger Over Stokes
Stokes, however, remained non-committal when asked about his own form with the bat. The England captain has endured a lean patch, with only 95 runs across three Tests in 2025 at an average of 19.00 — continuing a downward trend from 2024, where he averaged 28.66 in 13 Tests.
Despite increased scrutiny from former players and pundits, Stokes deflected talk about pressure, saying only: “That [Ashes century] was two years ago, so I’m pretty much over that now. But yes, hopefully there’s another big score just around the corner.”
Stokes hasn’t crossed 40 in the ongoing series and will be looking to rediscover his touch at Lord’s — the ground where he famously scored a second-innings hundred during the 2023 Ashes.
Concerns Over the Dukes Ball
Echoing remarks made earlier by India’s Gill, Stokes also raised concerns about the quality of the Dukes ball being used in the series. He claimed the balls have been going soft unusually early, reducing their effectiveness.
“There have always been issues with the ball going soft or out of shape — whether it’s touring teams or home sides. But it’s definitely been more noticeable this series,” Stokes said. “It’s not ideal, but you deal with it. If it passes through the ring, you keep playing. If not, you get a new one.”
His comments come a day after the manufacturer of the Dukes ball defended its integrity, instead blaming ineffective bowling and benign pitches.
Subcontinent Challenge at Lord’s
While England have earned a reputation for bouncing back, Lord’s hasn’t been a happy hunting ground in recent years, particularly against subcontinental opposition. India famously secured wins at the historic venue in both 2014 and 2021, and their pace unit will be further bolstered by the return of Jasprit Bumrah, who sat out the second Test.
With conditions likely to favour batters again, the pressure will be on England’s top order to stand up against India’s firing pace trio and help tilt the momentum back in the hosts’ favour.
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