Stokes captains in his own unique way, setting himself apart as one of England's greatest

Whatever England accomplish in India will depend as much on Stokes' empathy as his intelligence.

On 6 July 2020, Ben Stokes picked up his England blazer for his first photo shoot as England captain. With Joe Root absent for the first Test of the COVID-19 summer against the West Indies due to the birth of his second child, his vice-captain stepped up to the plate.

As Stokes walked over to his hanger in the Rose Bowl dressing room to don this temporary addition to his wardrobe, he noticed a piece of paper taped to the hanger. "Do it your way," it said, a handwritten message from Root.

Nearly four years later, even Root might be surprised at the extent to which Stokes has taken those words to heart. This Thursday, for the 22nd time, Stokes will don the blazer when he takes the toss in his 100th Test at Rajkot. Of all the triumphs, tribulations and missteps of his 11-year career, captaincy must rank high on the list of things Ben Stokes has done his own way.

When Root eventually stepped down in April 2022, Stokes' story had already been written three times and turned into a feature-length documentary. The last fifth of his career, however, requires an entirely new, stand-alone volume. Stokes the captain is somehow in the shadow of Stokes the player, which is incomprehensible.

If you ask anyone to name a memorable Stokes moment, it will likely have occurred prior to the last 22 months. This is the crux of his leadership. With his legacy already established, the captaincy presented an exciting new challenge.

There have been many tactical quirks, flourishes and punts in England's 14 wins, five defeats and one draw since he became full-time captain. They have only twice failed to take 10 wickets in an innings and have made 382 from a possible 389.

When assessing his leadership, there is a temptation to use familiar platitudes to describe Stokes. In many ways, it has been bold and at times confrontational, and he has certainly been proactive in making things happen. Ultimately, what we have observed is an extension of what coaches and psychologists who have spent time with Stokes have noted as an unusual combination of a laterally-thinking mind and an almost childlike impatience.

The lack of cookie-cutter fielding and the constant manipulation of angles are perhaps the best examples of this. Stokes is an active captain, as is his head coach Brendon McCullum, who is as good a sounding board on captaincy as any.

On his debut, Hartley was unlikely to question Stokes' adjustments to the field without his approval. But he knew it was standard practice as an avid follower of Bazball. With no need to worry about unfamiliar pitch conditions, Hartley was able to concentrate on bowling India out, becoming only the third debutant spinner to take five wickets in an innings under Stokes.

Naturally, experienced players such as James Anderson and Stuart Broad would have required more time to adjust to the changes. However, Stokes had already gained their trust in his strategic abilities well before this. As Root's second-in-command, he consistently pushed boundaries without overstepping his authority. In the last two years of Root's leadership, Stokes even reprimanded senior players for not bowling full enough. Upon assuming the top job, Anderson and Broad were well aware of their responsibilities.

During the 2022 summer, Stokes employed defensive fields while urging his bowlers to attack, a tactic advocated by Shane Warne. He was especially strict with Jack Leach, frequently declining to move fielders back following boundaries. Fielders down the ground were often positioned part-way, deep enough to encourage shots over the top while still allowing for a potential catch off any miscues. Occasionally, a fielder is placed directly behind the umpire to cover both the off and on side, while also making batters reconsider hitting straight.

Ironically, Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell, both of whom had exceptional series with the bat, were the first two players to fall into this trap. In the second innings at Trent Bridge, Blundell, on 106, fell victim to a clear short-ball ploy, with Stokes positioned as a floating backward square leg to take the catch. In the first innings at Headingley, Mitchell scored his third century in as many Tests. However, he mistimed a charge down the ground off Leach, who took 10 wickets in the match. Stokes was again the man in situ.

Stokes has returned to those key positions in India. His delayed knee operation has restored his athleticism, enabling him to run out Ravindra Jadeja in the first Test and take a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch against Shreyas Iyer in the second. Even when his knee was at its worst last year, he frequently wore a helmet and fielded close to the bat.

Most captains retreat when a batsman is set. They offer him a single in front of the boundary to keep him off the strike. Some, afraid of looking too amateurish, might even have refused to use these halfway fields. Almost all of them would have considered themselves too important to put themselves in harm's way.

Stokes has a humble leadership style. He is willing to take on any task, consider any idea, and make tough decisions without worrying about how he will be perceived. For example, during the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston last summer, Stokes was one of six fielders in an umbrella formation in front of the bat when Usman Khawaja charged Ollie Robinson and lost his off stump, despite having scored 141 runs.

Undoubtedly, his most complete captain's performance to date was in Pakistan last winter. The series pushed him to further tactical extremes, and on surfaces with little to work with, his imagination ran wild. As a result, England achieved a 3-0 series victory, a feat that had only been accomplished twice before in their history against Pakistan.

Due to the lack of seam movement, the slip cordon was seldom occupied. Instead, Stokes utilized leg slips and narrow fine legs, instructing the quicks to remain as straight as possible. Throughout the series, seven dismissals were made in this manner - either caught at leg slip, fine leg, or down the leg side by the wicketkeeper.

The tactic employed against Khawaja was first demonstrated at Rawalpindi - the least challenging pitch of the three - resulting in mistakes from Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel as the win was secured late on the fifth day. Even the continuous barrage of short balls - a toned-down version of Bodyline - was developed in Pakistan, then employed solely against Travis Head, limiting Australia's most dynamic batsman to an average of 36.20 for the series.

England may have become too experimental during their match against Australia. For instance, in the first Test, they made a first-day declaration and had Harry Brook bowl the 15th over of Australia's first innings in an attempt to unsettle Steve Smith. This plan was devised during a pre-series golfing trip to Scotland. Additionally, they frequently bowled bouncers to Head when he was in early and the Dukes ball was behaving unpredictably. Although the series was exciting, there were many missed opportunities.

Stokes, however, does not share this sentiment. However, it appears that valuable lessons have been learned from the previous experience, which have been applied to this tour of India. The gameplans have been relatively simple, especially considering the presence of three young spinners - Hartley, Rehan Ahmed, and Shoaib Bashir - who have done the majority of the bowling in the first two Tests.

Ahead of England's mid-series break to Abu Dhabi, McCullum attributed Stokes' ability to get the most from his inexperienced charges to his empathy towards people. This quality has been crucial to the team's success. Despite Stokes' unconventional methods, he has been persuasive in getting others to join him for the ride. This series has been about convincing some that they are worthy of taking part, as we saw with Hartley. On his debut Test match, Hartley had a challenging start, conceding 63 runs from nine overs, with Yashasvi Jaiswal hitting his first ball for six. Despite this, Stokes persisted with Hartley for 16 more overs in the first innings. This was partly due to Jack Leach's knee injury, but also because Stokes wanted to support the debutant for future matches.

Whether you call it faith, goodwill or necessity, it was an act that has brought England level with India going into the final three Tests. Whatever England are able to achieve by the end of this tour will be as much about Stokes' compassion as his intelligence.

Many who have held the top job in English cricket have done so for the status alone. Others lacked the necessary qualities to fulfill the role as intended. Fewer still had the courage to view it as a position that could bring about change in a team's philosophy and the individuals under their care.

Meanwhile, Stokes has excelled in all the most important aspects of the role, despite never actively seeking it. In doing so, he has set himself apart as the best to have ever held the position.