Jofra Archer delivered a match-winning performance for England in the Lord’s Test against India, drawing motivation from one of cricket’s most memorable scenes, Sourav Ganguly’s legendary shirt-waving celebration during the 2002 NatWest Trophy final.

While the connection may seem surprising, England captain Ben Stokes shared that Archer found inspiration in the image of Ganguly defiantly waving his shirt from the Lord’s balcony, using it to boost his resolve and contribute to England’s success in the third Test.

Archer’s standout performance featured a brilliant delivery that sent the dangerous Rishabh Pant back to the pavilion, followed by a crucial return catch to remove Washington Sundar. These vital breakthroughs played a significant role as India, despite a determined comeback, fell short by 22 runs.

“I told him this morning, ‘You know what today is, right? Do you remember that highlight of India chasing down 300-odd runs with Ganguly?’ He thought I was talking about the World Cup final. He thought it was six years ago today, ” Stokes said after England’s exhausting victory.

Coincidentally, England’s win at Lord’s occurred on the anniversary of their 2019 World Cup final victory, a match filled with controversy. However, when Stokes reminded Archer of that historic day, he instead chose to reflect on Ganguly’s iconic moment from 17 years ago.

“I said to him, ‘What about the World Cup we won?’ and he replied, ‘Oh, that one.’ He’s an absolute gem, that lad. I just had a strong feeling today, and getting Rishabh Pant out was a huge wicket in such a low run chase,” Stokes said.