Ben Stokes admits frustration but calls 2-2 series draw a fair outcome

Business Standard

05-08-2025

England were "disappointed and frustrated" at not winning the intensely-fought five-match Test series against India but the 2-2 result was "probably fair", feels home team captain Ben Stokes.
India beat England by six runs in the final Test here to draw the series. The visitors made a remarkable fightback on the final morning on Monday, picking up the remaining four England wickets quickly to bowl the hosts out for 367.
Stokes did not play the final Test at the Oval due to a shoulder injury.
"I think the series as a whole even before this game, it was just all four games going to five days. This one again. It's been toe to toe pretty for 25 days. You know, two teams, two very good teams who have thrown everything at each other. Left nothing out there," Stokes said.
"From a cricket fan's point of view 2-2 is probably fair. Obviously, we're disappointed now to have not got the result that we wanted to give us a series win, there's obviously that disappointment and a little bit of frustration there as well from everyone." He felt the fiercely-fought series was a "fantastic" advert of Test cricket.
"But as a massive advocate of this format and Test cricket as a whole, this has certainly been one of those series that could hopefully keep off that narrative around Test cricket is dying. As an advocate of the game the series has been fantastic to be part of." On the partnership between England second innings centurions Joe Root and Harry Brook which raised hopes of an England victory, Stokes said, "Yeah 380 is obviously a very large total to try and chase down but as the game got deeper and deeper, the way that the wicket was playing completely changed from day one and day two.
"So we knew that if any of our lads were to get in it was going to give us a good chance. Harry got us into that position by playing a particular way, putting the Indian bowlers under the immense pressure to take them away from being able to consistently bowl the areas that they wanted to bowl.
"I'm sure everyone was applauding him when he bought up his 100 in the way that he did. Some of the shots he played were unbelievable. So, yeah, the dismissal and the way that he got out was a shot that we seen a lot of him do in that innings, which I'm sure was getting a lot of praise." Tailender Chris Woakes came out to bat despite a fractured left arm, tied up and strapped, and Stokes termed it "unbelievable".
"It was never going to be a question for him to go out there. He was in a lot of discomfort running between the wickets there, but we've had Rishab up going out and back with a broken foot, Bash (Bashir) going out there bowling and batting fielding with a broken finger," the skipper said.
"Then we go to Chris out there today trying and get his team over the line with the quite recently dislocated shoulder. That just goes back to how much energy and effort that's been put into the series by both teams. Everyone's left a lot out on the ground for their countries, the series, definitely.