England captain Ben Stokes has been at the heart of his side’s spirited showing in the ongoing five-Test series against India, both with his performance and leadership. As the series heads towards a dramatic finale, Stokes’ handling of key players like Jofra Archer has drawn praise, especially from former skipper Nasser Hussain. Speaking on Sky Sports Cricket after the fourth Test ended in a gripping draw at Old Trafford, Hussain pointed out the trust and chemistry between Stokes and Archer, who made his Test comeback in the third match at Lord’s. “I like the fact that Ben knows what makes Jofra Archer tick. There’s a huge amount of respect between the two,” Hussain said. He recalled a moment from the third Test where Stokes was seen having a sharp word with Archer before lightening the mood with a smile and embrace. This was a clear reflection of the skipper’s balanced leadership.
“At Lord’s, exactly the same happened. Stokes has that mentality – I’m your friend and I’ll look after you, but I’m not your best friend. If you don’t quite get it right, I will have a word with you,” Hussain explained. “He’ll know what makes Archer tick and I think Archer is actually a better bowler when he is a bit fired up and his legs start pumping a little bit,” he added. Archer, who returned to the playing XI midway through the series, has picked up key wickets, with figures of 2/52 and 3/55 at Lord’s, followed by 3/73 and 1/78 in the drawn fourth Test.
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The Manchester Test saw both sides go toe-to-toe, with India batting out the final day and Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar scoring centuries after declining England’s offer to end the game early. With the series finely poised at 2-1 in England’s favour, Stokes’ leadership, and particularly his handling of players like Archer could prove decisive as the teams gear up for the final Test at The Oval.
