His biggest test as the captain will come in the Ashes in Australia.
The dying moments of the Manchester Test had questionable conduct from England captain Ben Stokes and company. The drama around the handshake shouldn’t take away from what was a great display of resistance by India.
England bowlers had to toil hard for about five sessions and the frustration was quite evident. But it also shouldn’t take away how graceful Stokes and co. were after India suffered a heart-wrenching defeat at Lord’s.
The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy currently stands 2-1 in England’s favour with one Test to go. It means the hosts will not lose the series at the very least. Stokes gave his all in the Manchester Test with a five-wicket haul and century. As a player, he is one of the greatest match-winners England has ever had. But where does he stand amongst the captains? Is he the best England captain ever?
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Since taking over the reins from Joe Root back in 2022, Stokes has quickly inserted himself in a conversation for the Greatest England Captain. Such has been his reign. England have lost only two Test series in this period — one in India by 1-4 and the other in Pakistan by 1-2.
If we look at the numbers, Stokes currently sits fifth on the list of most wins in Tests as England captain.
| Most Successful England Captains in Test cricket | |||||
| Captain | Wins | Matches | W/L Ratio | Win % | Win+Draw % |
| Joe Root | 27 | 64 | 1.03 | 42.18 | 50.94 |
| Michael Vaughan | 26 | 51 | 2.36 | 50.98 | 70.27 |
| Andrew Strauss | 24 | 50 | 2.18 | 48.00 | 68.57 |
| Alastair Cook | 24 | 59 | 1.09 | 40.67 | 52.17 |
| Ben Stokes | 22 | 37 | 1.69 | 59.45 | 62.85 |
| Peter May | 20 | 41 | 2.00 | 48.78 | 66.66 |
| Mike Brearley | 18 | 31 | 4.50 | 58.06 | 81.81 |
Root has the most wins but also endured the worst period in English cricket. Alastair Cook has a series win in India but has a similar win-loss ratio to Root.
Mike Brearley is considered as one of the greatest England captains ever. He has by far the best W/L ratio, having won 18 games and lost only four. But he had Ian Botham and Bob Willis at his disposal. Two of the greatest England players ever.
Michael Vaughan and Andrew Strauss both have remarkable records as captains. But they had arguably the best England teams to lead. What Stokes has done with a weaker set of players perhaps sets him apart from other English captains.
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When Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum took command of the Test side, England were in the trenches. They had such a disastrous couple of years that they had managed to win only once in their last 17 Tests before Root stepped down.
Since taking over, Stokes and the head coach have changed the way they play the game. They have instilled an attacking mindset in their batters that they can score at rapid pace and can chase down any target. The batters have consistently done this, scoring at 4.56 in Stokes’ tenure as full-time captain.
England have also successfully chased down big targets in emphatic style. Targets that seemed improbable in the past. In the ongoing Test series, they chased down 371 with ease. Their second highest successful chase. The highest came in the Bazball era as well, when they mowed down 378 against India in 2022.
While Stokes and McCullum managed to get the best out of their batting unit with an attacking style, doing the same with the bowling unit was much harder. When Stokes took over, James Anderson and Stuart Broad were in the twilight of their career. Jofra Archer was battling with injuries and there were no ready-made pace options. They have made a conscious effort to bring in bowlers with good pace. It’s an important shift in approach as fast bowlers will be valuable when they tour Australia, where England have an abysmal record in recent times.
Another key highlight of Stokes’ captaincy is his ability to maneuver the field. You can often see him set fields that you don’t normally see in Tests. Whether it’s two leg slips or two short legs, Stokes always looks to try something different that can bring him a wicket when the pitch isn’t offering much.
There is no doubt that Stokes as a leader has made the biggest impact in English Test cricket. He has extracted the best out of the resources in his arsenal and has taken this team from the bottom of the pit to one of the feared ones.
Despite his impact, it wouldn’t be right to call him the best England captain. Brearley and Strauss both have won Ashes Down Under. One of the biggest achievements for England. Stokes will lead the side in Australia for the first time in November later this year. How they fare there will decide the legacy of Ben Stokes the captain.
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