Ben Stokes Unveils Archer Plan to Disrupt Gill Ahead of Lord’s Test

Stokes vs Gill: England Plot Archer Assault Ahead of Lord’s Test

With the five-match Test series tied 1-1 following an awe-inspiring 336-run triumph by India at Edgbaston, England captain Ben Stokes is expecting a tactical Test at Lord's. The match will also mark a key challenge against the new India skipper, Shubman Gill.

With his record-breaking exploits in the second Test - 269 and 161 - Gill has made a powerful statement. His performances have firmly etched him in everyone's mind as a “run machine” and a proven match-winner. In just four innings, he has put England through the wringer, scoring 585 runs at an average of 146.25.

Jofra Archer returns to target dominant Gill

Yet Stokes remains undeterred. “We’ve got plans for all the Indian batters… he (Gill) has played very well, but we’ve got plans,” he said, suggesting targeted strategies to thwart the Indian batting. One of those strategies could be the comeback of Jofra Archer, returning to action for the first time in four years and perhaps the single best solution against Gill, carrying a superb career bowling average of under 11 in all formats against him.

Stokes lauded Archer’s resilience: “There is excitement about it... whenever he has played... the game does change. The opposition feels it as well”. Archer replaces Josh Tongue in the pace battery alongside Chris Woakes and possibly Sam Cook, as England look for new pace and consistency.

England Banks on Pace and Positive Mindset at Lord’s

The Lord's pitch promises dry, hot conditions - forecast to be around 30 °C - with little in the way of swing so that all the emphasis will be on stamina and skill rather than seam movement. In such conditions, England will look to combine Archer's express pace with Woakes's discipline and Cook's endurance to keep the pressure on Gill for a prolonged period.

Stokes also spoke of the mindset of the side. He said: “We’ll be coming out this week, trying to hit them hard and… come away with a win,” and brushed off talk about his own batting form as something that mattered less than the response of the team.

Can England’s Archer Plan Disrupt Gill’s Momentum at Lord’s?

India, meanwhile, is flying on momentum. With Vice-Captain Rishabh Pant stressing the importance of carrying confidence after Edgbaston, the visitors do not seem to have been fazed by the quick turnaround. Jasprit Bumrah comes back to add his fear factor to the bowling with Siraj and Akash Deep, the latter still riding high after his ten-wicket haul.

The third Test gets underway at Lord's at 11 a.m. local time today, setting the scene for some tactical chessplay. Does England's planning and the reinsertion of Archer blunt Gill's momentum? Or does India press on at the ‘home of cricket’?