Ben Stokes (Pic credit: Sahil Malhotra/TimesofIndia.com)
TimesofIndia.com in London: England captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the fifth and final Test against India at The Oval due to a right shoulder injury, but his absence didn’t stop him from making a strong statement about the demanding schedule of the series. England, leading 2-1, announced four changes to their XI for the finale starting Thursday, but the focus of the pre-match discussion was Stokes’ blunt criticism of the match planning and its toll on both teams.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“Disappointed to not finish the series. I have a decent tear in the muscle I can’t pronounce,” Stokes said in the press conference. “Will start rehabbing now for the winter. I was going to put my feet up anyway after the series, so it doesn’t matter.”
While admitting the physical demands are part of the game, Stokes didn’t hold back on the scheduling imbalance. “The gaps between games could have been better. There were gaps of 8-9 days between matches and then 3-4 days as well. You could make it a 4-5 days gap between matches maybe, so there’s that consistency,” he said. “It’s been tough for both teams — a lot of overs bowled, a lot of time spent on the field. But maybe if you had 4-5 day gaps, you could have had the same amount of time in the series.”
Poll
Do you agree with Ben Stokes’ criticism of the match scheduling?
He further added: “Gaps between matches could have been say 4-5 days. It’s been hard for both teams.”England’s revamped XI includes Jacob Bethell at No.6 and pacers Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, and Josh Tongue. Spinner Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, and Brydon Carse make way. On Dawson’s exclusion, Stokes said, “The Oval is where seamers pick most wickets. Lots more live grass on this pitch.”Addressing the handshake controversy in Manchester, Stokes said: “I understand why Jadeja and Sundar wanted to get their 100s but I was not going to bowl my bowlers. We are over it, India are over it. Let’s not focus on those 20 minutes, it has been a great series.”On the series as a whole, he reflected: “It’s been a big toll on the body. Physically it’s tiring but the mental side too. Tough, gruelling series but a test of character and physicality. The way both teams have fought shows how much the format means for India and England.”On the pitch controversy involving India coach Gautam Gambhir and ground staff, Stokes remarked curtly, “I don’t know, I wasn’t here.”
England Playing XI for 5th Test
- Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue.
