‘Didn’t Sourav Ganguly Wave His Shirt Today?’: Jofra Archer’s Hilarious Mix-Up After England Break India’s Heart at Lord’s

Ben Stokes had a hunch on Monday morning at Lord’s: “Jofra Archer is going to do something to break the game open.” And he was right. On the sixth anniversary of England’s iconic 2019 World Cup triumph — won at this very ground — the duo who sealed that momentous victory were once again at the heart of another nail-biting win.

As England looked to take six wickets with India needing 135 more runs on the final day of the third Test, Stokes handed the ball to Archer. What followed was a fiery six-over spell that brought back memories of that fateful Super Over — and once again, Archer delivered under pressure.

The fast bowler first sent Rishabh Pant packing before dismissing Washington Sundar, while in between, Stokes removed a well-set KL Rahul. The early triple-strike ripped through India’s middle order and exposed their tail within just seven overs of Day 5.

Later, Stokes returned to break a frustrating lower-order stand, removing Jasprit Bumrah, and the final blow came when Shoaib Bashir’s delivery trickled onto Mohammed Siraj’s leg stump, ending India’s fight and sealing a dramatic 22-run victory for England — and a 2-1 lead in the five-Test series.

In a fitting full-circle moment, Stokes and Archer — heroes of the 2019 World Cup final — once again stood tall at Lord’s, scripting another memorable chapter in England cricket’s history.

But while Stokes was very aware of the occasion, Archer wasn’t.

“You know what day today is, don’t you?” Stokes recalled asking Archer before play began, hoping to stoke some nostalgia. Archer’s response? He thought it was the anniversary of India’s famous NatWest 2002 final win — the one that ended with Sourav Ganguly waving his shirt from the balcony.

“He thought that was the World Cup final and that it happened six years ago. Absolute beauty, that boy,” Stokes chuckled in the post-match press conference.

Once Stokes clarified the date, Archer simply replied, “Oh, that one.”

Six years on, same venue, same duo — and yet again, a winning script.