The Athletic has launched a Cricket WhatsApp Channel. Click here to join.As England’s top three folded cheaply on a blisteringly hot Saturday in south London, their exiled captain was rediscovering his batting form in typically swashbuckling style some 250 miles away. Given the national team’s pitiful demise at the Oval, with New Zealand completing victory on the fifth morning, Ben Stokes’ revival in absentia feels like the only consolation from a miserable week.The coach Brendon McCullum suggested in his on-field post-match interview to Sky Sports that, with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) having withdrawn him from Durham’s County Championship game mid-match, England anticipate having Stokes available to captain at Trent Bridge in the decider later this week.On the evidence of what this much-changed team delivered in the second Test, he is needed.Dealt a difficult hand, one would imagine Joe Root is ready to cast his captaincy blazer back into that wardrobe in his garage back home and hand duties over to Stokes in a flash. With such an inexperienced side on show at the Oval, England looked disorganised and devoid of ideas as they were put to the sword by ruthless, relentless opponents.Stokes, meanwhile, at least has some runs under his belt from his two-day dalliance with his county side again. The hope is his confidence is restored ahead of what will be a hugely scrutinised return.Ben Stokes takes to the field at Chester-le-Street (George Wood/Getty Images)His innings of 95 off 118 deliveries was witnessed by a small crowd of 871 at Chester-le-Street on Saturday, lower even than the attendance that peaked at 1,561 on Friday’s first day of the Second Division fixture against Northamptonshire. After 116.4 overs in the field, as the visitors rattled up 450 having been put into bat, Stokes came into bat at No 5 with Durham precariously placed at 30-3. Marcus North, the England national men’s selector, arrived just in time to witness it first-hand.At around the same time down in London, England’s vice-captain Harry Brook was striding to the crease to join Root at 40-3. How they would have loved to have Stokes still to come in that changing room.Admittedly, the all-rounder has been out of form with the bat of late. He averaged only 22.87 during the nightmarish Ashes over the winter, and it is approaching a year since he last scored a century for England.But, as history reminds us, Stokes has always had that ability to make things happen when the going gets tough.