England’s premier batter Joe Root has revealed that Ben Stokes often ignores his suggestions when it comes to managing his bowling workload. Root shared that Stokes, known for his relentless approach, is always eager to make an impact—especially evident during his recent showing against India at Lord’s.
Facing mounting pressure after England’s heavy 336-run defeat in the second Test at Edgbaston, Stokes responded strongly at Lord’s. While his contributions with the bat were important on a challenging pitch, it was his performance with the ball that stood out the most.
Despite ongoing concerns over his fitness and past injury issues, the all-rounder bowled a total of 44 overs across both innings, claiming five vital wickets to help England secure a tense 22-run win. Looking ahead to the fourth Test, Root admitted he was worried during the match about whether Stokes would physically hold up until the end. He told BBC Sport:
“He doesn’t always listen to me. He didn’t listen to me when I was captain. But, no, he knows what he’s doing and he’s got a good handle on where he’s at physically. It was an incredible effort. He’s just desperate to be the man and make things happen.”
”Incredible effort to be able to do that. I was just panicking that he wasn’t going to make it through the game after a couple of bad injuries but he clearly trusts his body now.”
Crucial Partnerships Between Stokes And Root Steer England At Lord’s
At Lord’s, England’s two most seasoned Test players stepped up in both innings, stitching together vital half-century stands. They shared an 88-run partnership in the first innings, followed by a 67-run effort in the second, under increasingly challenging batting conditions.
After a quiet outing at Edgbaston with scores of 22 and 6, Joe Root returned to form with a composed 104 and 40 at Lord’s, playing a key role in England’s hard-fought victory. Ben Stokes also showed signs of improvement, contributing valuable scores of 44 and 33.
The battle for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy will now shift to Manchester, where the fourth Test gets underway on July 23.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
