No-one Can Stop Stokes Overdoing It But Himself - Agnew

I had everything crossed while watching Ben Stokes tally successful to vessel connected nan last time of nan 4th Test against India.

At times he looked for illustration Laurel and Hardy's car pinch various bits of his assemblage looking for illustration they were going to autumn disconnected because of his niggles.

With Stokes location is ever tons of talk astir personification successful nan dressing room, whether it is his vice-captain Ollie Pope, his friend and team-mate Joe Root, aliases coach Brendon McCullum, having to show him not to push himself excessively far.

We are past that constituent now. It is clear no-one is going to beryllium capable to show Stokes what to do.

It is difficult because Stokes knows really important he is to his team. He feels nan work because it is his squad and astatine Old Trafford he was caput and shoulders supra nan different bowlers connected either side.

But he has sewage to look aft himself and look astatine nan bigger picture.

Without him, England's hopes of winning this bid astatine The Oval adjacent week aliases successful nan Ashes successful Australia this wintertime would beryllium massively diminished. It really is Stokes aliases bust for England correct now.

It is some a immense compliment to Stokes and a interest that he offered truthful overmuch much threat than nan remainder of his bowling attack, peculiarly pinch nan aged ball.

Stokes has taken six wickets aft a shot is 40 overs aged successful this series. Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue person taken 2 wickets mixed crossed nan aforesaid period.

It shows his bowling really is world class.

Archer's return to Test cricket has been mostly encouraging but connected Sunday he discovered what it is to beryllium genuinely Test-match fit.

His feet looked sore, his gait was down to 83mph successful his last spell and he did not look arsenic threatening.

It besides confirmed he is not nan definitive bowler immoderate group expect him to be.

He tin do that domiciled for a spell present aliases location wherever he really heats things up, for illustration he did astatine times successful his comeback astatine Lord's, but he is not for illustration Mark Wood.

Wood tin vessel astatine 95mph whenever you propulsion him nan shot but, for immoderate reason, Archer's hit is not ever there.

It is awesome he is backmost and that he has been capable to play 2 games is different measurement connected his progression to playing successful nan Ashes.

Now he conscionable needs a fewer weeks to put his feet up because if he did not retrieve what Test cricket feels like, he will now.

After Archer made his comeback astatine Lord's, nan England subordinate returning present was Liam Dawson aft 8 years away, successful spot of nan injured Shoaib Bashir.

I americium still not judge astir Dawson arsenic England's spinner.

He bowled tidily – 47 overs for only 95 runs successful nan 2nd innings – but that he did not return a wicket arsenic England pushed for triumph connected nan last 2 days summed it up. He did not look dangerous.

Dawson's action is interesting.

He is very chest-on compared to nan much accepted off-spinner's method of getting sideways and utilizing your hips to pivot and put much action into nan ball.

Given Dawson is 35 and has had a bully career, I americium by nary intends calling for him to alteration his method but that is simply a logic why he is ne'er going to beryllium a large turner of nan ball.

Of people nan different measurement of looking astatine his capacity is that he was mostly meticulous and whitethorn really beryllium what England request erstwhile it comes to bowling successful Australia.

In nan power down under, you do not want to leak runs done your spinner.

You request to clasp up an extremity to let nan speedy bowlers to rotate and person a rest. That is why Graeme Swann was truthful valuable erstwhile England won nether Andrew Strauss successful nan 2010-11 series.

Dawson will rightly get different spell astatine The Oval, wherever he will dream to make moreover much of an impression.

When it comes to nan 5th Test, England will person to make changes because Woakes, Carse and Archer look exhausted.

That is nary astonishment fixed each 4 Tests person gone nan afloat 5 days – thing unheard of successful caller years successful this country.

Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson look certainties to return to bolster nan bowling onslaught and past it will beryllium astir whether Stokes is fresh to play a afloat part, fresh capable only to play arsenic a batter, aliases not fresh astatine all.

Previously erstwhile Stokes has not been capable to vessel England person looked to compression successful a 4th seamer, for illustration they did successful nan 2023 Ashes erstwhile Moeen Ali was recalled to beryllium a spin-bowling all-rounder.

England will beryllium hopeless for Stokes to play but if not they will conscionable person to spell successful pinch 3 gait bowlers positive Dawson. That keeps nan batting beardown for a crippled they cannot spend to lose.

Stokes will beryllium hopeless for immoderate much writer connected nan pitch, thing to springiness gait and bounce to thief his bowlers, and past dream his assemblage recovers.

England request him. Without Stokes they are half nan side.

Jonathan Agnew was speaking to BBC Sport's Matthew Henry