Ben Stokes didn't bowl a single over on Day 4 of the fourth Test against India. Should that be a cause for concern, or is he simply conserving his energy for the big game on Sunday? And what role will Rishabh Pant play? Follow on Sky Sports Cricket from 10:15am (11am kick-off).
Pictured: Ben Stokes moved carefully (no pun intended) around the pitch on day four of the fourth Test match and did not play a single shot.
At 12.50pm on Saturday it was hard to believe the fourth Test would survive until Sunday.
The score was 0-2 in the second innings (Chris Woakes had just taken two wickets in as many balls) and they were 310 behind England.
The tourists exhausted themselves in 157 overs and one ball, while the hosts scored 669 – the highest total ever recorded in a Test match at Old Trafford.
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Stokes completed his five-wicket haul in India's first innings, marking his 100th Test match for the first time since the 2023 Ashes.
Rishabh Pant's leg is very tired (exactly how much remains to be seen) and it is unlikely that he would have come out to bat if India's situation had remained as bleak as it is.
But we have made it to Sunday and now the question remains whether England can secure a decisive series win, especially with captain Ben Stokes' potential hamstring injury.
It will be interesting to see what roles he and Pant play on the final day.
England's hopes for Stokes on final day
Stokes, who completed his first Test century since 2023 and became only the fourth England men's player to hit a double ton and take five wickets in a game, had not bowled a single over in India's second innings and limped off the field.
When Shubman Gill and KL Rahul put on 174 in quick succession to reduce the hosts' lead to 137, the game seemed to be crying out for Stokes to step up with the ball as he has done throughout the series. Sixteen wickets and England hope the score continues to climb.
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Watch the highlights from day four of the fourth Test match as India's Shubman Gill and KL Rahul held off England for a win.
So, should we be worried that he didn't quit?
England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick said of Stokes, who bowled 129 overs against India this summer: “We hope another night of rest and some physiotherapy will help him come back.”
Sky Sports cricket pundit and former India coach Ravi Shastri offered an optimistic view: “I think Stokes is looking after himself. He will take one shot on Sunday when he needs to, when he feels it's time for five or six overs.”
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Sourse: skysports.com
