'It Will Be Massive Test': Michael Atherton Turns The Spotlight Towards Ben Stokes' Batting, Urges English Skipper To Lead From The Front

IND vs ENG: After Brendon McCullum was appointed the Head Coach and Ben Stokes was announced as the skipper of the English Test team, 'Bazball' has been getting the better of every team that visits England to play Test match cricket. Many English fans were referring to the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series as an Ashes warmup, but India have completely flipped the narrative with their dominant performance against the hosts in the Edgbaston Test.

Mike Atherton Evaluates Ben Stokes' Recent Form

England captain Ben Stokes will go down as one of the greatest all-rounders of all time. Stokes is equally good with both the bat and the ball in his hands, and he has proven it on multiple occasions. Stokes has registered scores of 20, 33, 0, and 33 in the ongoing India vs England series, and they do not suit the stature that he has as a player and as a captain.

Stokes looked like a million bucks with the ball in his hands in the Headingley Test and created ample wicket-taking chances for his team, but his bat is still not doing the talking. Former England skipper Michael Atherton feels that Ben Stokes has a bigger challenge on his hands, and he also is in dire need of delivering with the bat.

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'In the three years that Ben Stokes has captained England, it is hard to think that he has faced a sterner challenge than over the next two days. As a dedicated one-format player who does not play much cricket outside Tests, sometimes of his own accord. Stokes is in the invidious position of being short of rhythm and form just when he needs to lead from the front,' wrote Atherton.

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Bazball Comes Down Crumbling in Edgbaston

India defeated England by 336 runs in Edgbaston. The English Test team, under Stokes and McCullum, has always taken a lot of pride in chasing totals in the fourth innings, but this time around, India trapped and strangled them in their own game plan. Barring the 300-run partnership between Harry Brook and Jamie Smith, the entire Edgbaston Test match was dominated by India, and the result reflects that.