Stokes ready to feature in India decider

July 29,2025
Blogs
MANCHESTER:

England captain Ben Stokes proclaimed "pain is just an emotion" as he insisted he will do everything in his power to feature as a fully-fledged all-rounder in next week's series decider with India.

The fourth Test at Old Trafford, which ended in a draw on Sunday, was a personal triumph for Stokes as he became just the fourth England cricketer after Tony Greig, Ian Botham and Gus Atkinson to score a hundred and take five wickets in the same Test.

Stokes, 34, is also now only the third man in Test history to have scored 7,000 runs and taken 200 wickets after West Indies' Garry Sobers and South Africa's Jacques Kallis.

But the performance came at a cost for Stokes, whose career has been blighted by hamstring trouble, as he struggled with cramp and more general soreness.

Meanwhile, a bicep problem in his right arm emerged on Sunday's final day in Manchester.

His latest injuries are perhaps unsurprising given a heavy workload that has seen lively fast-medium bowler Stokes already send down 140 overs -- the most he has bowled in any series.

However, Stokes, the leading wicket-taker of the series with 17 at an average of 25.2, expects to take the field at the Oval on Thursday as England attempt to seal a 3-1 campaign triumph.

"Hopefully, I will be alright going for the last one," he told reporters.

"It's just a workload sort of thing. We got a fair amount of overs and everything starts creeping up on you. I'll keep trying, keep going and as I say to all the bowlers: pain is just an emotion."

Stokes, who said "I've physically been better," added: "I'll always try to run through a brick wall for the team.

"I don't want to eat my words but the likelihood I won't play (at the Oval) is very unlikely."

England seemed well set for victory at Old Trafford when India collapsed to none for two before eroding any bit of a 311-run deficit on first innings.

But KL Rahul and India captain Shubman Gill kept England at bay with an excellent third-wicket partnership of 188.

Stokes, who did not bowl on Saturday, had Rahul lbw for 90 during an eight-over spell on Sunday morning and England hopes were high when Jofra Archer finally removed Gill for 103 on the stroke of lunch.

However, Joe Root's drop of Ravindra Jadeja from the next ball proved expensive, with the India all-rounder and Washington Sundar batting out the rest of the day as both left-handers made unbeaten hundreds.

"When the reality (hits) with where the game drifted towards, there is obviously going to be that comedown," said Stokes.

"You can get the vibe that we've thrown everything and not been able to get over the line, there is that sense of disappointment and almost heartbreak –- me being a captain, I was as well."

But Stokes acknowledged it was also part of his role as skipper to raise England's morale, saying: "I've got to be that upbeat person as well."

India lose Pant

India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant will miss the fifth Test against England at the Oval due to a fractured foot, The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Sunday.

Pant retired hurt in India's first innings of the fourth test in Manchester, but re-emerged on day two, limping back onto the field to great applause from the Old Trafford crowd.

Pant did not keep wicket in England's innings and was not needed to bat as India dug in to earn a hardfought draw and deny the hosts victory in Manchester.

"The BCCI Medical Team will continue to monitor his progress and the team wishes him a speedy recovery," a BCCI statement said.

"The Men's Selection Committee has named Narayan Jagadeesan as replacement for Rishabh Pant for the fifth test."

Pant's fifty on day two, his third of the series in addition to centuries in each innings of the first test, took his run total to 479.

He also passed former England captain Alec Stewart as the highest-scoring wicketkeeper in a single test series in England.