Ben Stokes, the captain of the England cricket team, expressed optimism about his participation in the decisive final Test against India at The Oval. Stokes had announced that it was “highly improbable” he would be absent from the decisive fixture. This claim is made even amid concerns over his fitness after he failed to bowl during England’s 63 overs on the fourth day of the current Test series.
Stokes, who made the headlines on day four with his epic fifth-innings knock, was back out on the pitch on day five. His performance has been the linchpin all series long. He has become the most prolific wicket-taker for either side, taking a stunning 17 wickets. On the opening day of this Test, he produced a match-winning performance, claiming 5 for 72 runs in India’s first innings at Old Trafford. He followed that up by putting his batting prowess on display, scoring a stunning 141 runs. This feat made him only the fourth England player to take a five-wicket haul and secure a century in the same Test match.
This summer, Stokes has been in sensational form with the ball, consistently looking like England’s best bowler. On a personal level, he’s bowled 140 breathtaking overs so far in the series. It’s a daunting workload, but nothing like what awaits him. This will be his heaviest workload to date. His new troubling history of injuries—mentally, too—makes it a bit more complex. Stokes has undergone procedures on his left knee and hamstring. As for the long-term effects, he still deals with permanent issues in his left leg and right bicep.
Stokes acknowledged his physical condition, stating, “Mentally, I’m decent. Physically, I’ve been better.” He described the workload in this series as significant and noted his ongoing issue with his bicep tendon, saying, “It’s had a lot of workload through it. It’s a lot of time in the middle doing my job. It didn’t get any worse. Hopefully it settles down and will be as good as gold for the last game.”
Although concerns about his form fitness have not subsided, Stokes is still focused on bringing his team back to winning ways. With the series 2-1 in their favor, he reiterated the need to demonstrate a heavy hand Sunday. Alright, we’re 2-1 up, but we need to go out there and put that last huge performance in. We understand that there’s serious labor that still needs to go into the conclusion of the series,” he said.
Most importantly perhaps is that on field leadership and contribution is going to be vital for England, not least because he’s had an excellent return this season. Stokes brought up his 100 at Old Trafford, his first Test century in more than two years. So far this success has restored his playmaking momentum to thrust him back into an engine room dual playmaker role.
In light of the discussions surrounding injury replacements in cricket, Stokes remarked on the subject, stating, “I completely understand the concussion replacement because that is player welfare and safety.” He further added, “I honestly think the conversation should stop around injury replacements. If you stick me in an MRI scanner, I could get another player in straight away.”
And while England get ready for the last Test at The Oval, Stokes’ determination and devotion to duty is unmistakable. He expressed confidence in his ability to compete and continue leading his team effectively despite the challenges presented by injury. He concluded with a hopeful outlook for the match ahead: “It was another big week in the third Test at Lord’s. The same again this week. Pain is just an emotion, so it’s just one of those things.”
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