England captain Ben Stokes remains optimistic about his team’s prospects for a series victory despite their heavy defeat to India in Rajkot. Ben Stokes emphasized that the team will leave behind past disappointments and focus on the upcoming challenges.
The Ben Stokes-led side suffered a 434-run loss in the third Test of the five-match series at the Niranjan Shah Stadium on Sunday, February 18. The visiting team currently trails 1-2 in the series despite winning the first Test match against Team India in Hyderabad.
The visitors were dismissed for 122 runs in 39.4 overs while chasing a target of 557. Mark Wood emerged as their top scorer, contributing 33 runs off 15 deliveries, including six boundaries and one six. Ravindra Jadeja shone for India, claiming a five-wicket haul on Day 4.
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Things Don’t Always Work Out – Ben Stokes
During the post-match presentations, Ben Stokes expressed confidence in the team’s ability to secure victory in the remaining matches, despite being 2-1 down in the series. Stokes emphasized the importance of leaving behind the emotions.
“Everyone’s got a perception and opinion about things. But again, the people in the dressing-room’s are the opinions that really matter to us,” Stokes said.
“We know that things don’t always work out exactly how you want it to, but at 2-1 down in the series, still got two games left, so we’ve got a great chance to come home with the trophy at 3-2,” he added.
England’s first innings ended at 319 runs, despite Ben Duckett’s standout performance of 153 runs, including two sixes and 23 boundaries. England faced a significant collapse, losing their last eight wickets for only 95 runs. Mohammed Siraj took four wickets for 84 runs.
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I Sensed That As An Opportunity – Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes scored 41 runs before being dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja. The English skipper’s dismissal triggered a collapse as the team lost their last five wickets for just 20 runs. Despite reaching 224-2 at one stage, they conceded a substantial 126-run lead to India.
However, Stokes emphasized the significance of England’s innings pace, especially given the spin-friendly pitch. The all-rounder stated that he saw it as an opportunity, but it didn’t pan out due to the unpredictability of cricket.
“I sensed that as an opportunity after lunch to go out and have ‘one of my days out’, we’ll call it. I’ve got an unbelievable belief in myself that I can do that. Just like I have an unbelievable belief in every individual in there that, on their day, they can turn the game in our favour. We wanted to be bowling at the back end of day three, that came a lot earlier than we wanted to, but that’s how some things go. Nothing goes your way all the time,” Stokes further stated.
The fourth Test match between India and England will begin on Friday, February 23 at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi.
