England's Ben Stokes reacts during fielding
Credit: Reuters/Amit Dave
Rajkot: Ben Stokes was a mumbling mess at the end of the third Test.
Surely, the weight of England’s most recent loss was weighing down on the England skipper. Not because they had gone down to a world-class team in their backyard, but because of how they wilted after having them on the mat early on in the Test.
India were on 33 for 3 within ten overs on the opening day of the Test. England would have fancied their chances even if India strung together a couple of half-decent partnerships. India responded with 445.
England, at the other end, looked primed for a matching response after Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and then Joe Root took centerstage by carting India’s bowlers around. England were bowled out for 319.
In the midst of all this push and pull, Root did what many believed was the turning point in the Test. Stokes agreed.
“Yeah, because he got out to it, definitely was a turning point,” said the skipper when asked about Root’s ill-advised reverse scoop off of Jasprit Bumrah which cost him his wicket. “Joe Root has scored nearly 12,000 runs, I think we can leave the decision-making and ‘why’ with Joe. I can understand why there would be frustration around that because of how good a player Joe is.
“Bumrah has got him out a couple of times this tour early on. And I thought Joe was looking really, really good at the crease, and he sensed that as a time to put something different back onto Jasprit and make him maybe think about something. What that shot does for Joe is it makes fields change, makes bowlers' mindset change towards him. He got out to it, and it’s not a shot you necessarily see Test match players playing. But look, who am I to question a guy who has 30 Test match hundreds, and nearly 12,000 Test match runs? I think he knows what he’s doing.”
When asked if England would write off this game and go to Ranchi with a clean slate, Stokes said: "Writing it off wouldn't do justice to the professionalism of the players in the dressing room. You've got to learn from disappointment, but use it in a positive way, not let it eat you. I've played 100 Test matches now and I know that thinking too deep into certain things can send you on a downhill spiral. It's about what we do the next two games.”