Archive July 27, 2025

As Ben Stokes ran into the final day of his fourth Test against India, I had everything crossed my mind.

He occasionally appeared to be Laurel and Hardy’s car, with parts of his body appearing to be falling off due to his irregularities.

There is always a lot of discussion about Stokes having to tell his coach to stay away from it when they are dressing room, whether it is his friend and teammate Joe Root, or his vice-captain Ollie Pope.

That is now being addressed. No one will be able to direct Stokes in this regard, it is obvious.

Stokes is criticized for how significant he is to his team. Because he was a top bowler on either side of the pitch at Old Trafford, he feels the responsibility.

But he needs to take care of himself and consider the bigger picture.

Stokes’ offer of so much more threat than the rest of his bowling attack, especially with the old ball, is both greatly appreciated and concerning.

In this series, a ball that is 40 overs old has given Stokes six wickets. In the same time frame, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, and Josh Tongue have all taken two wickets.

His bowling is incredibly top-notch, as evidenced by this.

Archer’s return to the test series has been largely positive, but he discovered what it means to be truly fit for a test on Sunday.

In his final performance, he did not appear to be as dangerous because his feet were sore, his speed was slowed to 83 mph, and he did not appear as intimidating.

He is also confirmed as not the express bowler that some people anticipate him to be.

He is not like Mark Wood, but he can play that role for a while while he really heats things up, as he did occasionally in his comeback at Lord’s.

Wood can bowl at 95 mph whenever you throw him a ball, but Archer’s rhythm isn’t always there.

He is back, and it is wonderful that he is back. This is another step in his ashes career.

After Archer made his Lord’s debut, Liam Dawson, an injured Shoaib Bashir, replaced him with Liam Dawson, who had spent eight years away.

I’m still unsure about Dawson’s role as England’s spinner.

He bowled sparingly in the second innings, which was 47 overs for only 95 runs, but his absence from the final two days as England pressed for victory summed it up. He didn’t appear dangerous.

The action in Dawson is fascinating.

In contrast to the more common off-spinner’s method of turning the ball sideways and using your hips to pivot and get more action, he is very chest-on.

I’m not suggesting that Dawson change his technique because he is 35 and has a successful career, but that is one of the reasons he is never going to be a great ball player.

Of course, his performance was mostly accurate, which may be what England needed when playing bowling in Australia.

You don’t want your spinner to leak out in the subzero heat.

To allow the quick bowlers to rotate and take a break, you must hold up an end. When England won the series under Andrew Strauss in 2010, Graeme Swann was of such high value.

Because Woakes, Carse, and Archer appear worn out, England will need to make changes for the fifth Test.

Given that all four tests ran for five days, which is unusual for this nation in recent years, that is not surprising.

It will be about whether Stokes is fit enough to play a full part, fit enough to only play as a batter, or not at all, as Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson appear certainties to make a return to bolster the bowling attack.

England looked to add a fourth seamer when Stokes was unable to bowl, as they did in the 2023 Ashes when Moeen Ali was called up as a spin-bowling all-rounder.

England will be desperate for Stokes to play, but otherwise, they will need to add Dawson and three pace bowlers. For a game they cannot afford to lose, that keeps the batting strong.

Stokes will be desperate for more grass to support his bowlers before recovering from surgery. He will also be looking for anything to add pace and bounce.

England requires him. Without Stokes, they would be at their lowest point.

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The England international made a second appearance off the bench.

England’s captain Ben Stokes says it’s “very unlikely” that he won’t miss the crucial final Test against India at The Oval.

Stokes, an all-rounder, struggled throughout the final three days of Old Trafford’s drawn fourth Test, repeatedly feeling for the top of his right bicep and legs.

The 34-year-old has had operations on his left knee and hamstring for the past two years and has had a history of chequered injuries.

Additionally, he is in excellent form. In India’s opening Test match against England, he scored 141 with the bat after starting with 5-72 with the ball and then followed up with 141 with the bat, making him the only other England player to reach the milestone with a century and five wickets.

The fifth Test, which starts on Thursday, will have a quick turn around.

Although it’s unlikely that I won’t play, I don’t want to eat my words, Stokes said. I’m decent, mentally. I’ve been better physically, “.

Stokes said the issue with his right bicep has been “stirring away” for some time despite his previous struggles with left-leg injuries.

The Durham man claimed that “it’s been a pretty big workload for this series thus far.” “This was another extremely successful week of the third Lord’s Test,” he continued. It’s just one of those things because pain is just an emotion.

Stokes’ role as a player and leader for the England team is crucial. His first Test century for more than two years at Old Trafford was his first since 1998, and he consistently ranks as England’s best bowler with the ball.

With 17 wickets, he is the best wicket-taker in the England-India series, which is also his most successful in the ball in a 12-year Test career. Stokes has bowled 140 overs in the series, which is also his most of his career.

When he didn’t bowl any of England’s 63 overs on the fourth day, there were concerns about his fitness at Old Trafford. At the start of the fifth day, he did bowl, and India batted for an undeniable draw the entire way down.

Before lunch on Saturday, India trailed by 311 runs to go to 0-2. When a draw was reached, the tourists were saved on 425-4 thanks to the efforts of captain Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar.

Given the short amount of time between Tests, England was on the field for 143 overs on Saturday and Sunday. England has fielded 222 overs more than India in the series.

After more than four years of undergoing medical issues, Seahawks Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse have each played four Test matches for England.

At The Oval, all three would be considered for rotation. Jamie Overton could replace Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson as cover for the fourth Test against England.

Everyone is going to be pretty sore and exhausted, Stokes said, “You look at how long we have been out in the field and how many overs we have bowled.” Everyone will be evaluated, and we can hopefully make the most of these rest days.

“We might need to make a few adjustments to get some fresh legs in,” the team said.

The fourth Test was largely dominated by England, but they ultimately struggled to end the series with a win. Since 2018, England hasn’t defeated India or lost a five-series game.

The home side must now avoid falling to the Oval to prepare for what they hope will be a successful year, with the Ashes set to arrive in Australia this winter.

“Yes, we’re 2-1 up, but we want to go out and record that most important performance.” We are aware that the series’ conclusion will require a lot of effort, Stokes said.

“We really set up this game. We had the best of intentions when we played the game. India’s ability to play the way they did is greatly appreciated. This week simply wasn’t meant to be this week.

Rishabh Pant, an Indian wicketkeeper, broke his foot during the fourth Test, with head coach Gautam Gambhir saying he was “all for” the introduction of injury replacements in test cricket. Concussions are the only cases where replacements are permitted right now.

Stokes, however, called the suggestion “absolutely ridiculous” because “too many loopholes” would result from doing so.

According to Stokes, “you pick your XI for a game, and injuries are a part of it.” “The replacement concussion is player welfare and safety, and I fully understand that.”