Stokes finds ways to be a thorn in the visitors’ flesh

Skill, guts and those small hunches, Ben Stokes’ cricket philosophy is largely institutional anda bit emotional. Underpinning all that is an unbending commitment and dogged focus to toil away relentlessly when nothing seems to give way.

- Somshuvra Laha

Being an allrounder now isn't easy, but Stokes has a way of standing apart with his grit. His returns at Lord’s? 44 and 33, 2/63 in the first innings and 3/48 in the second. Not exactly sensational. Now think of the Rishabh Pant run out in the first innings. And the way he was in India’s face throughout the fifth day ona dead Lord’s pitch, getting the ball to seam in, making life hell every ball asa bowler, captain and instigator.

The venue probably matters as well. Like in 2019 at Headingley, where he single-handedly carved one of Test cricket's finest victories. Or Lord's, where no one has won more Player-of-the-Match awards in Tests than Stokes. Then there is the greatest ODI of 2019, the World Cup final that will always be remembered for ‘the barest of margin’ result, all because the thrown ball from deep tooka ricochet off the bat ofa diving Stokes and went to the boundary.