India, July 15 -- Skill, guts and those small hunches, Ben Stokes' cricket philosophy is largely institutional and a bit emotional. Underpinning all that is an unbending commitment and dogged focus to toil away relentlessly when nothing seems to give way.

Being an allrounder now isn't easy, but Stokes has a way of standing apart with his grit. His returns at Lord's? 44 and 33, 2/63 in the first innings and 3/48 in the second. Not exactly sensational. Now think of the Rishabh Pant run out in the first innings. And the way he was in India's face throughout the fifth day on a dead Lord's pitch, getting the ball to seam in, making life hell every ball as a bowler, captain and instigator.

The venue probably matters as well. Like in 2019 at H...