Stokes hails Lord's Test win architect Archer as gut feeling delivers dividends

England captain Ben Stokes felt a sense of déjà vu when he tossed the ball to Jofra Archer on the final morning of the Lord's Test against India.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

It was July 14, exactly six years since Archer bowled England to a historic World Cup win in a Super Over at the same venue. And now, with a tense Test match hanging in the balance, Stokes trusted his instinct again.

Playing in his first Test since 2021, Archer showed no signs of the numerous injuries that have hampered him, claiming combined match figures of 5/105 through a mix of hostility, intimidation, and tactical nous. And it seemed fitting for the 30-year-old to deliver again, six years to the day from his Super Over heroics in England's 2019 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Final victory over New Zealand.

After being belted down the ground by an advancing Rishabh Pant, an attempt to set the tone of the day in the visitors' favour, Archer hit back by beating the wicket-keeper/batter's defences for just nine.

He then followed up with a sharp return catch to dismiss Washington Sundar (0), a player with a penchant for fourth-innings heroics, to curtail the India heist.