Manchester, July 27: England captain Ben Stokes admitted that India’s resilient batting left his side with no real choice but to settle for a draw on the final day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford.
Speaking after the match, Stokes acknowledged that India had done the “hard work” through gritty performances from their batters, forcing England to shift focus from chasing victory to managing player workload ahead of the final Test.
“I think all the hard work was done by India. They both played incredibly well,” Stokes said, referring to India’s middle-order stand that shut out England’s hopes of a win.
“It got to a point where there was only one result possible, and there was absolutely no chance I was going to risk any injuries to the fast bowlers with one more game to go.”
With spin all-rounder Liam Dawson having already bowled extensively and showing signs of fatigue, Stokes admitted that risking more overs from his key bowlers wasn’t worth the gamble. “Dawson had bowled so many overs in the game. His body started to feel it – cramp in the legs, general tiredness – so I wasn’t going to push any of my frontline bowlers for that last half an hour,” he added.
Reflecting on the challenges of captaining on a day-five pitch, Stokes said the wicket teased possibilities but rarely delivered breakthroughs. (Agencies)
