England captain Ben Stokes says “pain is just an emotion” and that he will “run through a brick wall” as he tries to be fit for the fifth and final Test against India.
Stokes battled cramp while scoring his first Test hundred in two years during the drawn fourth Test against Shuman Gill’s side at Emirates Old Trafford.
The all-rounder then did not bowl on day four after struggling with general soreness and then felt discomfort in his upper right arm while sending down 11 overs on day five.
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Highlights from the final day of the drawn fourth Test between England and India at Emirates Old Trafford
Speaking ahead of The Kia Oval Test from Thursday – a game England will head into with a 2-1 lead – Stokes said: “I don’t want to eat my words but the likelihood I won’t play is very unlikely. I’ll always try to give everything, always try to run through a brick wall for the team.
“It’s my bicep tendon. It’s had a lot of workload through it but it didn’t get any worse and hopefully it settles down and will be as good as gold for the last game.
“Bowling, being out on the field it is tough work. I’m feeling pretty sore. I’ve physically been better. But I’ll keep trying, keep going and as I say to all the bowlers: pain is just an emotion.”
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Stokes pinned KL Rahul lbw on the fifth morning in Manchester, with a ball that seamed in and kept low
‘Sense of heartbreak’ after England unable to force win
Stokes has taken 17 wickets across his 140 overs against India in this series, striking at an average of 25.20 while operating at good pace and getting the ball to move significantly.
He claimed his first Test five-wicket haul in eight years in India’s first innings, while he then dismissed KL Rahul on the final morning to ignite England’s victory bid before that was eventually thwarted as the tourists battled their way to a series-saving stalemate.
India captain Shubman Gill – one of three second-innings centurions for the away team, alongside Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar – came to the crease on a hat-trick ball with his charges 0-2 but they went on to reach 425-4 from 143 overs.
Stokes said: “You can get the vibe that we’ve thrown everything into it and not been able to get over the line so there is that sense of disappointment and almost heartbreak.
Stokes has taken 17 wickets in four Tests against India so far this summer
“But I’ve got to be that upbeat person as well and we want to go out and put that last big performance in. We know there’s a lot of hard work to go into the end of the series.
“We set this game up really well, played the way we wanted to, but I give a lot of credit to the way India were able to play the way they did. It just wasn’t meant to be this week.”
Will England alter pace attack for final Test?
Stokes looks set to play at The Kia Oval, then, but there could be changes in the rest of the seam attack with Brydon Carse and Chris Woakes playing all four Tests so far and Jofra Archer having gone back-to-back after four years out of the red-ball arena.
Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton and Sam Cook could play if England do opt to rotate.
Will Jofra Archer be rested for the final Test against India?
The skipper added: “Even before this Test match, there were conversations around how much effort and energy has gone in especially from the bowlers.
“There is another quick turnaround and we will have to use these few days wisely, check up on everyone and see how they are going.
“We are lucky we have a battery of fast bowlers to call on at any point in time but we will make that decision.”
Overton added to England squad
England have added Jamie Overton to their squad for the fifth Test against India at Kia Oval, adding some depth to a pace attack coming off an exhausting finish to the fourth Test.
Overton won his only Test cap in 2022 and joins a 15-player squad that also includes Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue as pace options.
Jofra Archer has played in two Tests so far amid his return from four years away due to injury, while Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse have played in each of the four Tests.
England’s 15-player squad:
- Ben Stokes (Durham) – Captain
- Jofra Archer (Sussex)
- Gus Atkinson (Surrey)
- Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire)
- Harry Brook (Yorkshire)
- Brydon Carse (Durham)
- Zak Crawley (Kent)
- Liam Dawson (Hampshire)
- Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
- Jamie Overton (Surrey)
- Ollie Pope (Surrey)
- Joe Root (Yorkshire)
- Jamie Smith (Surrey)
- Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire)
- Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)
Watch the fifth Test between England and India, at The Kia Oval, live on Sky Sports Cricket from Thursday or stream without a contract. Build-up begins at 10am ahead of the first ball at 11am.
England vs India – results and schedule
All games at 11am UK and Ireland; all on Sky Sports
