ENG vs IND: England Keep Fingers Crossed Amid Fitness Concerns for Ben Stokes

Stokes will resume batting on day 2. (PC: Debasis Sen)

England were handed an injury concern on the opening day of the Lord’s Test as captain Ben Stokes appeared to pick up a groin issue after what seemed a routine leave. His deputy, Ollie Pope, couldn’t confirm the extent of the injury but remained optimistic about Stokes’ chances of continuing in the match.

The England skipper looked in discomfort towards the close of play, particularly while batting on 39 not out. He received on-field treatment and was visibly struggling to run between the wickets. In fact, he declined a second run in the final over of the day which would have brought Joe Root to a century. Root was left unbeaten on 99 at stumps, with England finishing at 251/4.

Speaking after the day’s play, Pope said:”Fingers crossed he can do something magic and come back strong. Clearly we’ve got a big Test over the next four days and a big two coming up. It’s important to try to manage him. One of my roles is to make sure he doesn’t push himself to a ridiculous place. I’m sure the physios and medics will work with him to lay out a plan and I’ll help push him in the right direction.

Despite the evident discomfort, Stokes showed resilience and continued to bat until stumps.

England confirmed that no scan was done on Thursday, with a further assessment scheduled for Friday morning.

India also had an injury worry of their own. Vice-captain Rishabh Pant left the field midway through Day 1 after injuring a finger while collecting a delivery. The BCCI later acknowledged the injury on social media but did not provide specifics regarding its severity.