Former Indian pacer praises Ben Stokes for his performance in Lord's Test, calls him 'heart' of England team

England skipper Ben Stokes, who on the fifth day of the Lord's Test, has showcased great commitment as the leader of the team. Before the end of the 2nd Session, Stokes had bowled over 24 overs to Indian batters and leaked just 47 runs. Praising his bowling performance and calling him the 'heart' of the England team, former Indian pacer Irfan Pathan took to his X handle and wrote, ''Ben Stokes bowled a 9.2 over spell on Day 5 of a Test match — pure grit. He’s not just a 4D player, he’s the heart of this England team. Giving it everything.''

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Ben Stokes bowled an 9.2 over spell on Day 5 of a Test match — pure grit. He’s not just a 4D player, he’s the heart of this England team. Giving it everything.

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) July 14, 2025

In the first innings of the Lord's Test as well Stokes bowled 20 overs where he picked up two wickets, Karun Nair and Nitish Kumar Reddy, and leaked 63 runs at an economy of 3.2. So far in the series, Stokes has taken 11 wickets at an average of 31.

IND vs ENG Lord's Test

India was chasing 193 but struggled from the beginning of the 2nd innings. Before the end of the fourth day, India had already lost four wickets and lost three more in the first Session of Day 5. However, Ravindra Jadeja's experience helped India survive till the last Session of the match. But, it was an unlucky delivery from Shoaib Bashir that took the last wicket of the Indian innings, Mohammed Siraj. India lost the game by 22 runs and England is now leading the series 2-1.