It was a gripping end to the five-match Test series between India and England at The Oval, with India winning the match by six runs and levelling the series 2-2. England’s regular captain Ben Stokes, who missed the final Test due to a shoulder injury, spoke at the post-match presentation. He credited the hard work both teams put in throughout the series and expressed how proud he was of his team.
“Difficult when you can’t participate. Another hard-fought game. Both teams have put so much effort, amazing to be a part of. Bitterly disappointed we couldn’t go over the line but very proud of the team,” Stokes said.
Chris Woakes came out to bat with an injured shoulder but couldn’t help his team cross the finish line. On that, Stokes said there was never any hesitation from Woakes about stepping up. “There was never a question in Woakes’ mind about batting.”
Stokes praised the team’s resilience and commitment despite the injury setbacks. “We’ve had guys go out with broken foots, fingers, just shows what it takes to play for the country. The whole series has been awesome. There’s always going to be moments where emotions are coming out. No one will be going to bed crying about what was said,” he added.
He also shared his satisfaction with his own bowling efforts during the series and expressed hope that he can stay injury-free ahead of the upcoming Ashes. “I felt good, happy with how I went with the ball. Hopefully, all the injuries are behind me. Rehab starts now and the big one’s coming in a few months. When one of your bowlers goes down so early in the game, the role of the other seamers changes. Even in the second innings, the heart and desire they showed was amazing,” he said.
Finally, Stokes acknowledged that the players delivered exactly what he and head coach Brendon McCullum asked of them. “There were many what-ifs in the last five days, makes the game great, but all Brendon and I asked was to give it everything. Tongue, Atkinson and Overton showed it,” Stokes concluded.
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