MANCHESTER [UK]: England captain Ben Stokes once again showcased his world-class all-round abilities in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester, earning his second consecutive Player of the Match award in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Despite England’s inability to force a result, Stokes’s impactful performance, including a five-wicket haul (5/72) that helped bowl India out for 358 in the first innings, followed by a stellar 141 with the bat, highlighted his significance to the team. He now leads the series in wicket-taking with 17 scalps.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Stokes reflected on his performance and the team’s effort. “I think when you have a good game as an all-rounder, you assess by how that goes by the result at the end of the game. Will give it all back if we would’ve got the result,” he candidly stated.
Stokes also commended the spirit and commitment of his England side. “Asked the guys up there to run through a brick wall for the team, and I’ll do the same. Bowling, being on the field, it is tough work.. Pretty sore (his body). Obviously, we have got through a fair amount of overs. Everything starts creeping up on you,” he shared, highlighting the physical toll of the match.
He acknowledged that the pitch eased out on the final day but reserved special praise for India’s lower middle-order resilience, specifically the unbreakable partnership between Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar that secured the draw for India. “As the game progressed, the wicket sort of became easier to bat on. There was variable bounce for the right-handers, but not much for the left-handers. Heapload of credit to the way Washington and Jadeja played there,” Stokes said.
The England skipper also acknowledged key moments in the game, such as Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley’s opening partnership, which set the tone in England’s first innings, and the overall quality of the contest. “The Duckett-Crawley partnership was crucial in the first innings to set the platform,” he noted. “Has been a back-and-forth series so far. The quality of the game has been exceptional. It’s one of those moments where you feel this is where the game will be broken open. But the quality India have, they were going to be hard to dislodge and they proved that,” he added, admitting England had “threw everything at them.”
In a tactical move, Stokes chose not to overwork his pacers in the final session, keeping in mind the bigger picture. “Didn’t want to risk my fast bowlers with any injuries towards the end. Dawson (Liam) bowled a lot of overs too. Even before this Test, there were conversations around how much effort and energy had gone into the bowling department. Bowlers will be assessed over the next couple of days,” he explained.
Despite missing out on a win, England still leads the five-match series 2-1 heading into the final Test at The Oval, starting Thursday, July 31, 2025. India will now look to bounce back and square the series.
Ben Stokes Lauds India’s Resilience Despite His Heroics As Manchester Test Ends In Draw
