Talismanic England batter Joe Root admitted he was worried about Ben Stokes’ marathon spell on the final day of the Lord’s Test, but was ultimately relieved with how it all turned out.
Stokes, who recently recovered from a hamstring tear, had workload concerns hanging over him before rejoining the England squad as captain. However, in this series, he has already bowled over 100 overs, including 44 in the third Test alone — the most by any bowler at Lord’s. He played a crucial role in England’s narrow win, taking five wickets in the match and earning the Player of the Match award for his second-innings performance.
Speaking to the BBC, Root said Stokes always trusts his instincts and rarely listens to others — including when Root himself was captain.
“He doesn’t always listen to me. He didn’t listen to me when I was captain. But no, he knows what he’s doing and has a good handle on where he is physically. It was an incredible effort,” Root said.
Root Says Stokes Is ‘Desperate’ to Make an Impact
The former England skipper described Stokes as ‘desperate’ — in the best possible sense — to make things happen and turn games in England’s favour.
“He’s just desperate to be the man and make things happen,” Root added. “Incredible effort to be able to do that.”
Root admitted he was concerned about Stokes potentially aggravating an injury, especially after his recent fitness setbacks. But he noted that the all-rounder’s confidence in his own body is allowing him to perform at his peak once again.
“I was just panicking that he wasn’t going to make it through the game after a couple of bad injuries, but he clearly trusts his body now. It’s a great sign for us going forward. I mean, it really is, because that’s back to his best,” he concluded.
With the series finely poised, England and India will face off in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester, starting 23 July.
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