England doesn't have time to recover from their injuries. They need to regroup for Lord's three days after being thoroughly outplayed at Edgbaston, and former captain Michael Atherton thinks that this is the most important time in Ben Stokes' tenure as captain. India defeated England last Sunday by a massive 336 runs, bowling the side out for 271 in a 608-run chase. Indian bowlers performed admirably to dismiss the English side, even though rain caused a delay of more than an hour to the game at the start of Day 5.

"It's hard to imagine Ben Stokes has faced a greater challenge in the three years he has led England than over the next two days, when he considers how to motivate his players for the third Test at Lord's," Atherton wrote in The Times.

"It will be a huge test of his leadership, as well as his own physical and mental fortitude."

An unrelenting Indian team completely destroyed Stokes and England in every aspect, putting them behind in the five-game series 1-1. The choice to bowl first, which Brendon McCullum subsequently acknowledged was a mistake, has brought up questions about decision-making.

Following the Leeds Test, Atherton highlighted Stokes' own post-game remarks, in which the captain had maintained a three-day quiet period for mental recuperation. Atherton maintained that those same three days should be devoted to bringing his wounded squad back together this time.

"It is not hard to imagine, then, how he must be feeling now," Atherton observed. "The three days that Stokes used to shut himself off from the world after Leeds for his own benefit are essentially the days he must now use to rally his players."

The amount of work Stokes has

On paper, the disparity in workload is not significant, but Atherton emphasized how fatigue accumulates in defeat. “He batted 16 minutes less, bowled nine overs fewer, and was on the field for 25 overs longer. Of course, things are made worse by defeat. With only three days till the Lord's Test and a seven-day break, how must he have felt on Monday morning if he was exhausted after a victory in Leeds?

Additionally, Atherton suggested adjustments for the third Test. “I’d keep faith with the batting and freshen up the seam attack, bringing in [Jofra] Archer and [Gus] Atkinson for Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse.”

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