Former England cricketer and beloved commentator Jonathan “Aggers” Agnew has officially paid up on a long-standing bet, handing over his iconic hat to none other than England captain Ben Stokes after the thrilling third Test at Lord’s. The playful wager, dating back to the 2022 Ashes day-night Test in Hobart, centred around Jofra Archer’s Test future.
At the time, Agnew confidently predicted that Archer would never play another Test match. Fast forward to July 14, 2025, and Archer made a triumphant return, playing a crucial role in England’s dramatic 22-run victory over India. Archer silenced doubters with five wickets across both innings, including the crucial scalp of Rishabh Pant on Day 5.
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In a moment of poetic justice and humour, Agnew handed over his hat to Stokes before play on Day 1, fulfilling the bet. To top it off, Archer cheekily wore the hat during a post-match interview with Agnew, turning the bet into a moment of cricketing folklore.
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As for the match, it was a classic Lord’s Test brimming with tension and twists. England posted 387 in the first innings, thanks largely to Joe Root’s fluent 104. Jasprit Bumrah responded with five wickets, while India matched the total with KL Rahul’s gritty century. England stumbled to 192 in their second dig, undone by Washington Sundar’s guile and the Indian seamers’ precision.
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Set a target of 193, India faltered to 170 all out on Day 5. Ravindra Jadeja was the lone warrior, remaining unbeaten on 61 while stitching valuable partnerships with the tail. But in the end, England’s pace attack, led by Archer and Stokes, sealed the win.
With this result, England now lead the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series 2-1, with the penultimate Test beginning July 23 at Old Trafford.
