Trisha Ghosal in Manchester
England came to Manchester with the chance to seal the series and for most of the Test, they looked like the only team playing for a result. But what unfolded over five days was a masterclass in resistance from India. Even Ben Stokes, never one to understate his team’s intent, tipped his hat to the visitors: “Duckett and Crawley gave us the ideal platform. We batted with purpose and backed ourselves to win. But credit to India, they fought back hard.”
“Pain is just an emotion”
Stokes has dragged his team through this series by the collar, batting, bowling, strategising, and his body is showing the wear. “It’s my bicep tendon,” he admitted, “not the shoulder. But I’ll be there at The Oval. These next two days are for the physios. But I’ll play.” When pressed, he added with a grin, “Pain is just an emotion, right?”
“No point bowling just for show”
England pulled the plug before the final overs on Day 5, drawing criticism from some quarters. Stokes, though, stood firm. “The game was done. I wasn’t going to risk another injury. I told Harry [Brook] not to try anything silly either. We’ve bowled a lot of overs. We move on.”
“India wanted their hundreds, fair play”
Asked about India’s delayed handshake, Stokes shrugged off any bitterness. “We thought it was over. But they had players close to hundreds. I get it. I probably would’ve done the same. Sundar and Jadeja were excellent.”
“Injury replacements in Tests? Absolutely not”
The most pointed moment of the press conference came when Stokes was asked about allowing injury replacements in Tests. “No. It’s a ridiculous idea. Every player would suddenly have something. Concussion replacements are fine. But you can’t manipulate red-ball cricket like that.”
“I’ve had better feelings after lesser performances”
Despite his five-wicket haul and a majestic 141, Stokes wasn’t getting carried away. “I don’t value stats for the sake of them. I care about impact. This didn’t feel like a match-winning effort, so it doesn’t matter much.”
“One last push”
With England leading 2–1 and one Test to go, Stokes summed it up in trademark fashion: “The bodies are sore, but the belief is intact. We’ve got one more push left. Let’s finish it right.”
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