Ben Stokes' batting has gone from a worry to a problem

Telegraph

4 days ago

'Need you now, skipper,' tweeted the Barmy Army, with a praying emoji for good measure, capturing the mood of every watching England fan.
Ben Stokes was striding to the crease in the second over of the third day of a Test match that had gone badly wrong for his team. Walking in the other direction was a disbelieving Joe Root, who had contrived to feather a filthy Mohammed Siraj delivery down the leg side to leave England 84 for four, still 503 behind. The stage felt set for Stokes, English cricket's patron saint of lost causes.
It is some time since England have needed a performance more from Stokes. And some time since he has provided one. This week marked two years since the last of his 13 Test centuries, a magical 155 in the Ashes at Lord's, fuelled by righteous fury of the Australians' stumping of Jonny Bairstow. Since then, he averages 28, which was also his average last year. This year, his three innings had brought scores of nine, 20 and 33. Worrying.
It was to get worse, with Stokes recording the first golden duck of his Test career, in his 202nd innings. It was, in any circumstance, a brute of a delivery to receive first ball, but given Stokes's form and England's match position, it was even more savage. Angled across Stokes, it took the glove as it whistled past his throat and through to Rishabh Pant, who took his second catch of the over. While he was bounced out against Zimbabwe, it was hard to remember Stokes being dismissed in such fashion.
The narrative around Stokes across his two years without a ton has centred on his bowling, and his fitness to do so, amid a chronic knee injury and two torn hamstrings. He has worked outrageously hard on his physical fitness in a bid to reclaim his full status as an all-rounder, and a key member of England's attack. Based on his bowling in the first three Tests of this summer, that has been achieved, which is a fine feat at 34.
Ben Stokes goes first ball! 😲
Siraj strikes twice in 2 Balls! pic.twitter.com/JsV4l15lo4
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 4, 2025
But perhaps the focus on his bowling has come at a cost to his batting. England's approach to rehabilitating injured bowlers – Stokes, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood – is to build them up in the nets, not in matches for their county or the Lions. Archer will return to Test cricket having played just one first-class game. Stokes went into the first Test of the summer against Zimbabwe without having played at all for six months, then declined a game for the Lions against India A.
Bowling might be about physical robustness, which can be built in the gym and nets, but the other side of the Stokes package, batting, is about rhythm, which can surely only be achieved in the middle. Stokes admitted before this game that he was experiencing some ring-rust. At Headingley, he was scratchy in the first innings, then strange in the second, compulsively reverse-sweeping Ravindra Jadeja until he was inevitably dismissed playing that shot with victory in sight.
Without wishing to sound overly old-fashioned, Stokes might simply not be playing enough cricket. He is virtually unique in the world game, in that he only really plays one format, Test cricket, as he is in effect in white-ball international retirement, and is barely interested in the franchise world. But other Test specialists play some first-class cricket to build up to the biggest events, but Stokes eschews them.
Perhaps it is time for Stokes to consider dropping down a place in the order to No 7, where he batted on the tour of New Zealand in December to accommodate Ollie Pope at No 6 while he kept wicket.
There are three reasons this would be a good idea. First, is that Stokes had success there, averaging 53, including a vital, gutsy 80 that helped set up a series-opening win in Christchurch. Second is the sheer quality of Jamie Smith, who stroked Siraj's hat-trick ball for four and played a remarkable innings that confirmed the suspicion that he is simply too good to bat No 7.
The third is the most important reason. If Stokes is to play a full role as a bowler, especially on pitches this flat, he needs to manage himself physically. Captaining is exhausting enough, particularly when you do it with the fiddly energy Stokes does. Add in the burden of more than 20 overs per innings, and every minute's rest helps.
In the early days of his career, the theory was that Stokes would grow with responsibility; if you batted him at No 8, he would bat like a tailender; bat him at No 5, he would bat like a batsman. During his true peak as a batsman, between 2019 and 2020, Stokes batted No 5, and reached the top three of the ICC's Test batting rankings. He now sneaks into the top 40. Stokes has so much authority in his side that the removal of some responsibility might actually be helpful.
The good news for Stokes is that across the second half of this match, he will receive another opportunity to locate that elusive rhythm, and help his team out of the deep hole they find themselves in.