- 4 days ago
England captain Ben Stokes opened up on his availability for the last Test of the five-match series against India at the Oval. Stokes was adjudged Player of the Match in the fourth Test for scoring a century and taking a five-wicket haul after India secured a hard-fought draw on Day 5.
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00:00Yeah, I think we set the game up really well. I think going back earlier to the Ben Duckett and Zach Crawley opening partnership,
00:11the way that they took the game on and really tried to put the Indian bowlers under pressure.
00:18The rate that they scored at allowed us to have that focus on batting once and trying to get as far ahead of the game as we possibly could
00:28and then giving ourselves a good chance of bowling them out. Obviously it didn't transpire that way but we played the game in the way that we wanted to
00:39with how it turned out with them bowling them out. I think I give a lot of credit to the way that India were able to play the way they did,
00:50especially after losing two wickets in the first over and our second into bowling. Yeah, just wasn't meant to be this week.
00:59How are you feeling physically? How are you feeling mentally?
01:03Mentally, decent. Physically, been better.
01:08How's the body? You seem to struggle with your shoulder. Was that this morning, last night? What was the story there?
01:17No, it's just something that's been sort of stirring away. It's been a pretty big workload so far in the series.
01:27Yeah, another obviously big week last week at Lord's with time spent out in the middle with batting the hand and obviously overs bowled and then same again this week.
01:36So, yeah, said it a few times to the guys out there. Pain is just an emotion. So, yeah, just one of those things.
01:46Is there any chance you could miss out of the oval or is Petro a batter only or is it still up in the area?
01:52I think you look at how long we've been out in the field and the overs that we bowled as a bowling unit.
01:59You know, everyone's going to be pretty sore and pretty tired going into the last game of the series.
02:06So, I think there'll be an assessment of, you know, everyone and hopefully we can use these next two to three days rest period wisely and then have to make a decision on then.
02:17Yeah, obviously these recovery days are going to be pretty important and, yeah, we might have to make a few decisions to get some fresh legs in.
02:24But again, that won't be decided until we get closer to the last game.
02:29We'll go Will and then Sydney.
02:31Chris?
02:32Ben, that tea, both going on and off, you seem to be having some sort of quite animated discussions with Liam Dawson.
02:38I don't know what that was about exactly, but I just wondered whether you could explain how you thought he bowled,
02:43how he obviously got through a hell of a lot of work today and yesterday, but didn't end up taking a wicket.
02:48What was your assessment of him on his return to Test cricket?
02:51Yeah, I thought he did really well.
02:53Look, it's, you know, it's coming into a Test match, you know, for such a long period of time.
03:04I think he's done himself, you know, he's had a very, very good week.
03:09Not only with, but I thought it was runs out he got as well.
03:12They were very important for us, obviously, with the way that we wanted to bat as long as we possibly could.
03:17You know, creating chances, you know, and balls just weren't sort of going where the fielders were on a couple of occasions.
03:26And, yeah, obviously, you have discussions with all your bowlers around, you know, what can we look at doing potentially differently?
03:35What do you do you feel is the most threatening?
03:37Can we look at maybe doing this differently or doing that differently, especially when you get into, you know, day five
03:43and you've got two guys out there who spend some time out in the middle?
03:46You know, you're always chatting to your bowlers around doing something potentially different.
03:50You know, do it with the scene bowlers as well all the time.
03:53We tried quite a few different plans, set different fields to try and make the Indian batsmen feel a little bit uncomfortable.
04:00But they were able to stand up to everything that we threw at them today.
04:04So, yeah, look, I think Liam Dawson's had a great week.
04:08And unfortunately, he's just not got the reward with the ball that I think he's deserved.
04:12I'm going to ask about events at the end there.
04:14You obviously offered a handshake a few minutes before the actual end of the game.
04:18You guys seemed a bit frustrated that India didn't accept it.
04:20What was it exactly that frustrated you? Was it just your own tiredness or was it the fact that they were within sight of a personal milestone?
04:27Yeah, I think we, you know, we took the game as far as we could with our frontline bowlers to, you know, we took it as far as we could to think like we've got a real chance of still winning this game.
04:41But as soon as it got to that point where it was the draws inevitable here, I was never going to risk any of my frontline bowlers with the short turnaround that we have and the workload that we've got through this week and throughout the series as well.
04:58So, yeah, as soon as, you know, the 15 overs or last hour was there, it was always going to be a shake hands.
05:04But as I said, the only other person who's actually got any bowling workload into them is Harry Brook.
05:13But I did have to tell him, I said, please don't do anything stupid.
05:19We spent a lot of time out in the field, can't have you pulling aside or doing anything different.
05:25You know, naturally you're going to be fatigued, even if you don't bowl.
05:29So I was just like, just get through this period.
05:33But yeah, I wasn't going to risk any of my, you know, proper bowling options in that situation when we knew what was going on.
05:42Sydney, then we'll go Chris behind you. Go ahead.
05:45Ben, barring lots to some extent, batsmen from both sides have, you know, have made merry, scoring a lot of centuries and teams also scoring over 400 runs.
05:54And it's been a real hard toil for bowlers and you've faced it.
05:59So what's your assessment of your pitches so far?
06:02Yeah, I mean, it's been, it's been a series so far of, you know, hard toil.
06:09In particular, the bowling units from both sides, you know, you've really had to work really, really hard for your rewards.
06:17And I think as this game got deeper and deeper, it actually became a much harder wicket for right-handers to bat on.
06:27I think from that top end there, you've seen a lot more variable bounce from very similar areas.
06:32Even when India were bowling to us at the back end of our innings, when we were in a comfortable position,
06:36balls were still sort of, you know, leaping off a length or keeping a bit low.
06:40You know, you've seen that happening quite a lot, even when Shubman and KL were, you know, in a good partnership.
06:48There were still balls that were just slightly taking off or keeping low.
06:51But even though obviously I'm a left-hander and I spent a bit of time out there, you didn't really feel that was in danger to you as a left-hander.
07:00So obviously when Jadeja and Washington came out, didn't feel as threatening with the left-handers.
07:08So yeah, it was a different wicket for left-handers and right-handers.
07:13But you've still got to be able to be good enough and skilful enough to get through the pressures of day five,
07:21particularly when you're behind the game like India were.
07:23So I've got to give a lot of credit to the way that Washington and Jadeja played.
07:28That partnership was very, very crucial for them being able to be in the position they are at the end of the game.
07:34Chris, and then we'll go to Mel.
07:37Hi Ben. After Laws, you said you were going to spend four days in bed and I think you did in the end.
07:44I just wondered what you're going to do between now and Thursday to ensure your body is in the best part of the shape that you can play again then.
07:52Probably only two because it's three days, isn't it?
07:55Between the next one.
07:57No, I think everyone's going to be pretty similar.
08:00Shut it down, rest up, and everyone's going to give themselves the best chance of being available for selection.
08:06But we're not going to hide away from the fact that it's been a very tough four games so far for the guys who have played in particular bowling units.
08:13We generally like to get our team out a couple of days before.
08:21But we might have to just take a little bit longer going into this last game just because of how we want to give everyone as long as they possibly can to be able to recover.
08:31Yes, we're going to the last game of the series 2-1 up but we know that we still want to go out and put that last big performance in.
08:43We kept saying today just one last push again before one last push next week.
08:51So we still know there's a lot of hard work to go into this end of the series.
08:58Just on the shoulder, is it the shoulder and was today the first time you felt it or was it something you've been managing throughout the series?
09:06It's actually my bicep tendon. Obviously, I had quite a lot of workload through it. It's just been creeping around.
09:15A lot of time out in the middle doing my job as an all-rounder this week and just got a little bit flared up.
09:23Yeah, I'll obviously keep going and didn't get any worse throughout the day. Just stayed the same so that's why I kept on going.
09:30But yeah, hopefully it settles down and we'll be good as gold for the last game.
09:34Mel, Steph and then we'll do Julian and then we'll do two more.
09:38Ben, how important was that batting innings for you? Because that is the most fluent you've looked batting since you've come back from the surgery.
09:47And was there a moment in that innings or was it just something gradually from spending time out in the middle?
09:55Before this game, you obviously want to be contributing towards the team as much as you can and I'm not someone who particularly looks at the overall statistics of things.
10:14I felt like I've gradually got better and even last week at Lord's, you know, 70 runs, but it was more in the moments that I found myself in,
10:23I've been able to apply myself and actually, you know, spend some important time out in the middle, get some important runs.
10:30And that's sort of how I look at it, you know. I've had a good game this week as an all-rounder, but I felt better sat here last week talking to everyone.
10:43You know, with a 3-fer and a 2-fer and 30 and a 40, then obviously sitting here now with 140 and six wickets in the game with a 5-fer.
10:55So, yeah, I judge the performances that I give to the team on the results and my contribution in the moments of games and are they influencing the game in the way that I want them to,
11:08which is going to help us win. Yeah, so that's how I look at it, if that makes sense.
11:15So you literally put your arm around a couple of your bowlers at various times today. How tough is that going to be for you with those bowlers?
11:26It might be a very different bowling attack, of course, but, you know, how much did that hurt them today?
11:33I think when the reality of where the game drifted towards is obviously going to be that, like, almost a come down, I guess.
11:47Because, you know, throughout the whole game there until that last session, we, you know, we really, really felt that we were, you know,
11:57ten minutes away potentially of blowing the game open and giving ourselves a chance at chasing something there.
12:03But so when that reality does sit in, you can, you can get the vibe that everyone is a little bit like,
12:08I've got through absolutely everything at this and we've not been able to get over the line there.
12:12So there is that obvious sense of disappointment and almost heartbreak.
12:17Obviously with me being a captain, I was as well.
12:21But yeah, I got to be that upbeat person as well.
12:26You know, even there at the end, Dorsley was like, he's bowled so many overs today.
12:32His body was sore, it was stiff, but he didn't want to take the easy option and leave the field.
12:37That's what I was saying.
12:38Please, if you are sore, last thing I need is to you to pull a calf or pull a hammy because you're out here in a pretty pointless situation.
12:46So, not only is it great to know that your players want to stay out there regardless of the situation,
12:53but there is obviously going to be that natural disappointment from everyone out there
12:56when you feel like you've given yourself a good chance to win it again.
12:59But it turned out differently.
13:03Okay, Steph on one each, Julian, Vish and then we'll finish here at the front.
13:08Ivan.
13:09Sorry, you just talked quite generally about the bowling unit, but just to be clear on you specifically,
13:15are you unsure whether you'll be able to play at the Oval or not?
13:18I don't want to eat my words, but the likelihood that I won't play is very unlikely.
13:32Julian, please.
13:36Finish and then we'll finish at the front.
13:38Just one question, please.
13:40Ben, just on that sort of slight fracker at the finish, if that had been you as captain with a young lad
13:45just coming up to his maiden test century in Washington, would you have pulled the plug on him?
13:52Well, I think the way that the hard work would have been done there.
13:59The knock that those two played were very, very good.
14:09The situation that India found themselves in there with us opening the game open slightly.
14:16And that partnership was massive.
14:18It was, you know, you hold your hands up.
14:21They played incredibly, incredibly well.
14:24And I don't think there would have been too much more satisfaction from walking off 100 not out,
14:33getting your team out of a tricky situation, then walking off at 80, 90 not out.
14:39You know, that's what you've done for your team.
14:44You know, the ten more runs or whatever it was,
14:47ain't going to change the fact that you've managed to get your team out of a very, very, very tricky situation
14:51and almost saved your team from a series defeat before the last game.
14:57So, yeah.
15:05Vish, and then finish at the front.
15:07Go ahead, Vish.
15:08Hi, Ben.
15:09I was just wondering about Brydon.
15:11His pace hasn't really veered across the series,
15:14but obviously he looks like he's played, you know, four tests in a row.
15:18How is he doing?
15:19What do you think about him ahead of the Oval?
15:22Again, as I've said, it will be, you know, two, three days.
15:26Recovery for everyone.
15:28And we'll be giving everyone the best chance we can to make sure that we've got, you know,
15:33the squad that we end up selecting for the last game to be able to choose from everyone.
15:39But look, it's not going to hide behind the fact that it has been tough for the bowlers.
15:44Brydon's charged in consistently through thick and thin moments.
15:53He will keep going and, again, we'll make a decision as late as we possibly can regarding the play in XI for the last game.
16:00Last one here, please.
16:02Ben, as an international captain, will you recommend or will you feel that in case of clear external injuries,
16:10like we have seen with Risha, we should allow full substitute and we get concussion substitutes?
16:17I'm going to say, I think it's absolutely ridiculous that this conversation around an injury replacement.
16:25I think there will just be too many loopholes for teams to be able to go through.
16:32You pick your XI for a game.
16:34Injuries is part of the game.
16:36I completely understand the concussion replacement because that's, you know, player welfare, player safety.
16:42But I think the conversation should just, honestly, stop around injury replacements
16:47because you stick me in an MRI scanner, I could get someone else in straight away.
16:51You stick anyone else in an MRI scanner and a boulder is going to show,
16:56oh, yeah, you've got a bit of inflammation around your knee.
16:59Oh, sweet.
17:00You can get another fresh boulder in.
17:02I just think that conversation should be shut down and stopped.
17:05Okay, Donald.
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