By Trisha Ghosal in London
From the brink of series glory to the sting of a gut-wrenching defeat, England’s final act at The Oval was a microcosm of their bold, unpredictable brand of cricket. After setting the tone with a flurry of runs in the opening hour, and riding a Harry Brook hurricane to the cusp of history, England watched it all unravel in under five overs on the final morning.
Having dominated large swathes of the match, England were favourites right until Mohammed Siraj cracked open their chase with a spell for the ages. The collapse, sudden, brutal and final, left them six runs short and the series square at 2-2.
Captain Ben Stokes, who has overseen the Bazball revolution with grit and vision, faced the media after the match to reflect on the heartbreak, the brilliance of Brook and Joe Root, and the character of a side that played the long game with no regrets.
No regrets on no subs: ‘You pick XI, you deal with it’
Even in defeat, Stokes was unflinching. When asked whether England should reconsider their hardline stance on substitutes for injured players, especially after Chris Woakes’s shoulder popped out during a series-defining Test, Stokes didn’t hold back.
“I just don’t see it being a thing,” he said bluntly. “If someone gets injured — tough sh*t. Deal with it. That’s how we view it.”
It was a firm reiteration of his philosophy: cricket is a game of risks, and teams must live with the consequences of the XI they field. “You select eleven players. If you start bringing in subs, it opens up tactical manipulation,” he warned. “I could’ve played this game with a dodgy shoulder and said, ‘If I break down, I’ll have someone else take my place’. But that’s not how sport should work.”
‘Massive respect’ for Siraj: ‘He just keeps coming’
While Stokes didn’t sugarcoat his words, he was generous in praise, especially for India’s match-winner Siraj. “I’ve always had admiration for Siraj,” he said. “He just keeps coming and coming. You know he is always going to be in the fight. Fair play to him.”
Siraj’s 4.1-over spell that returned 3 for 9 snatched the game out of England’s hands on the final morning. His ability to sustain pressure across five Tests and over 180 overs didn’t go unnoticed. “He’s earned every bit of the praise,” Stokes admitted.
Dropped catches prove costly: ‘No one means to drop them, but…’
With six dropped catches in the match, the question had to be asked: were England architects of their own downfall?
“You can look back on those moments and say, yeah, they probably cost us,” Stokes said. “No one means to drop catches, but in games this tight, they hurt. We’ve been on both sides of that, winning despite drops and losing like today because of them.”
Brook’s innings: ‘Unbelievable shots, just one mistimed’
Stokes reserved special praise for Brook, whose counter-attacking hundred gave England real hope. “Some of the shots he played were outrageous,” he said. “His dismissal? It was a shot he’d nailed all innings. Just one mistimed. That’s sport.”
Woakes’s bravery: ‘He shrugged his shoulder and said, I’ll do it’
Woakes’s decision to bat through injury captured the grit of this England side. “He was in real discomfort. But he still went out there. No fuss. Just shrugged his shoulder and said, ‘I’ll do it’. That’s the kind of team we are.”
A rivalry to rival the Ashes? ‘Not new, but definitely bigger now’
When asked whether India–England now ranks alongside the Ashes, Stokes paused before answering: “It’s always been big. Maybe it doesn’t have the same branding, but after a series like this? It’s definitely right up there.”
Looking ahead: ‘We’ve got time, we’ll be ready’
With the Ashes looming, Stokes admitted there’s work to be done, but insisted England are in a strong place. “We’ll use the break wisely. And we’ll be better for the punches we took in this series.”
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