The scoreboard at The Oval told a brutal story: New Zealand by 253 runs, a shell-shocked England levelled in a series they had seemed to control. Yet the real headline lay in the gap between the teams, a void shaped unmistakably like Ben Stokes.

England’s captain was missing after breaching a midnight curfew he had helped impose, slipping out with seamer Gus Atkinson to a London nightclub in the afterglow of a 115‑run win at Lord’s. By the time the second Test was over, the cost of that misjudgement was measured not just in runs, but in authority and belief.

Without Stokes and Atkinson, and with Ollie Robinson injured and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith on paternity leave, England fielded a side heavy on promise but light on experience. Three debutants were exposed in a raw attack, New Zealand ruthlessly exploiting a dressing room suddenly short of its emotional and tactical centre.

From the commentary box, Stuart Broad saw more than a bad defeat. For him, the Oval hammering underlined how deeply this England side is built around its absent captain. Broad believes Stokes will be “hurt” watching from Durham, acutely aware that his own actions had helped destabilise a fragile squad at a critical moment in the summer.

Stokes is expected to return for the decider at Trent Bridge, resuming the captaincy from Joe Root and bringing with him something England have sorely lacked: presence. His recent County Championship innings of 95 from 118 balls for Durham against Northamptonshire suggested a player rediscovering rhythm just as his team most needs it.

Broad is convinced the all-rounder remains driven to lead, but stresses that Stokes will demand more of himself than just tactical nous. He has only one Test hundred since the summer of 2023 and modest scores at Lord’s in this series, yet Broad argues he still merits selection as a bowler alone, such is his impact with the ball and in the field.

For England, Trent Bridge now carries weight far beyond a single match. A home series defeat to New Zealand would invite searching questions about discipline, depth and direction. A 2-1 win, with Stokes restored and repentant, would allow them to file The Oval away as a painful reminder of how quickly things unravel when their talisman is missing.