England’s captain says the India series proves Test cricket is in good shape as attention turns to the first Ashes Test in Perth in November
For months, England captain Ben Stokes has avoided talking about the Ashes in Australia as much as possible.
But after a Test match – and series – for the ages against India, even he is prepared to mention it and firmly believes his side are battle hardened after the draining series that finished in a chaotic defeat at The Oval on Monday.
More than 7000 runs were scored in the five Tests, but just when England were in need of fewer than 50 runs for the final five wickets, they lost. The last time that happened to them in a fourth innings while chasing victory was in 1902, against Australia at Old Trafford
Stokes was England’s most effective bowler in the series but exhausted himself into a shoulder injury that forced him to miss The Oval.
Stokes praised his seam attack – deprived of himself, Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes, who came out to bat with a dislocated shoulder but did not have to face – for running India so close in the six-run defeat that squared a superb series.
“When one of your bowlers goes down so early in the game, the role of the other seamers changes,” Stokes said.
“Even in the second innings, the heart and desire they showed was amazing. There were many what-ifs in the last five days, makes the game great, but all (coach) Brendon (McCullum) and I asked was to give it everything. (Josh) Tongue, (Gus) Atkinson and (Jamie) Overton showed it.
“The way in which we’ve been able to perform throughout the series, I’m looking forward to getting to Australia and doing what we want to go out there and do.”
England and India both wasted earlier chances to win the fifth Test but after India took the final four wickets in a hectic 57 minutes of play on the final morning, Stokes accepted the conclusion was deserved.
“The series as a whole has been pretty much toe-to-toe for 25 days. From a cricket fan’s point of view, 2-2 is probably fair,” he said.
“Two very good teams who have thrown everything at each other and left everything out there. We obviously would have loved to get a series win but it wasn’t meant to be.
“We’re bitterly disappointed we couldn’t get over the line but it was another hard-fought game and both teams put so much energy and effort into the series, it’s been an amazing one to be part of.
“There’s a little bit of frustration there as well but as a massive advocate of this format and for Test cricket as a whole, this has certainly been one of those series that could hopefully keep off the narrative around ‘Test cricket is dying’.”
Stokes said he was looking forward to being well rested for the first Ashes test against Australia, in Perth, on November 21, but if he is fit, there are serious questions over who will join him in England’s attack.
Fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Mark Wood have both missed more Tests than they have played in recent years and the chances of Woakes being fit to bowl in less than four months must be remote.
England have not won a Test in Australia since 2011, something David Warner will doubtless be reminding them of during his stint playing for London Spirit in The Hundred over the next few weeks.
