Stokes’ England Determined for a Strong Finish in Dharamsala Despite Series Loss
Following a promising 28-run victory in the first Test in Hyderabad, England’s fortunes took a downturn. Despite their resilience, they succumbed to a formidable Indian team in the subsequent three Tests.
Although this implies that the visitors, who last clinched a Test series in India in 2012, will depart without a trophy, they are not taking the final match lightly.
On the eve of the Dharamsala clash, England captain Ben Stokes expressed his intent to persist with his positive approach. He emphasized the importance of practice sessions as a crucial training platform for his team.
Ben Stokes scored a brisk 84 off 76 balls.
“Our goal remains the same every time we play. We aim to win this week,” said Stokes.
“It’s not about mentality. The key is to work hard and give your best in the nets because that’s where you improve.”
Despite the gruelling schedule, featuring five Tests in 48 days, Stokes’ hunger for success remains undiminished.
“We’ve been on numerous tours to India, and we know how it feels towards the end of a long one,” Stokes added. “But I don’t think anyone is thinking about the end right now. Every opportunity to represent England is special. Just because we’ve lost the series, it doesn’t make this game any less important.”
Jonny Bairstow scored a half-century in his final innings of the Cricket World Cup.
The third Test in Rajkot marked Stokes’ 100th Test appearance, and now in Dharamsala, his longtime teammate, Jonny Bairstow, is set to achieve the same milestone.
Despite Bairstow’s lean patch, with just 170 runs from eight innings in the series, the support for the Yorkshire batsman remains steadfast.
“Representing England means a lot to Jonny and his family. He’s played over 100 ODIs and 100 Tests, a significant amount of cricket for England. It means a great deal to him. He deserves all the accolades he receives in the lead-up to the game and throughout the week,” Stokes said.
England pacer Ollie Robinson, who went wicketless in his only appearance in the series in Ranchi, also received backing from Stokes. Despite struggling with a back injury, Robinson scored a fighting fifty in the first innings, earning praise from Stokes for his resilience.
“It’s disappointing for Ollie that his back injury affected his performance. He’s more upset that he couldn’t contribute to the team as much as he’d have liked. But the fact that he was out on the field, trying to influence the game despite not being fully fit, shows his character. A lesser man would have given up,” Stokes said.
The fifth Test in Dharamsala commences on Thursday, 7 March.