Will the rain or India ruin Stokes' era-defining Test?

Victory at Old Trafford will mean a Ben Stokes-captained side has finally earned a series win over cricket superpowers

- By RICHARD JOLLY AT OLD TRAFFORD

Ben Stokes had spent some of Monday in the middle at Old Trafford, studying the pitch. He had no such option yesterday, the covers shielding it from the elements. The Mancunian weather accounted for his only draw as Test captain, against Australia in 2023.

There may be the risk of a repeat, though: even as the skies started to clear in the afternoon, the rain still came down. But Old Trafford draws have a different pertinence: this week has marked the 20th anniversary of the start of the 2005 Ashes. Australia held on in Manchester, nine wickets down in a thrilling finish, but England won the series 2-1.

Twenty years on, in what is shaping up as another epic contest, England hold a 2-1 lead over India, in a series that has taken a twist with sledging defining the Lord’s Test. Rain may be unwelcome, but it would hurt the tourists more. Stokes, whose side has been accused of “breaching the spirit of cricket” after delaying tactics in the third Test, is a man with a proven capacity to bowl through the pain barrier. He knows something about suffering.

He got through 44 overs to secure the 22-run win at Lord’s, 24 of them in the last innings, spells of nine and 10 included. “I don’t think enjoyment is the right word,” he reflected. “I consistently felt threatening in those spells, hence why I kept on going.”

It was just as well he then had a few days off. “I felt like I was in a long-distance relationship with my family because I hardly saw them [despite] being at home,” he said. “I needed to lie down. I watched the whole series of Landman on Amazon. That’s good. I watched 28 Days Later and followed up with 28 Weeks Later.”