Ben Stokes able to take care of elevated workload regardless of feeling sore throughout

The England captain struggled with cramp in his left leg and was feeling his shoulder because the hosts did not bowl India out of their second innings at Old Trafford on Sunday and needed to accept a fourth check draw.

Stokes took his first five-wicket haul for eight years in India’s first innings, a formidable feat given his current damage points.

“It’s just a workload sort of thing,” Stokes instructed reporters after the draw with India left England main 2-1 within the five-match collection.

“We bought a good quantity of overs and all the things begins creeping up on you. I’ll hold making an attempt, hold going and as I say to all of the bowlers: ache is simply an emotion.”

“I’ll always try to run through a brick wall for the team.”

Stokes revealed he had damage his bicep tendon, along with his damage niggles the results of a taxing workload that has seen him already ship down 140 overs in 4 assessments — essentially the most he has ever bowled in a collection.

However, Stokes, the main wicket-taker of the collection, is optimistic of taking to the sector on the Oval on Thursday (July 31, 2025) as England attempt to seal a 3-1 collection triumph.

“Hopefully I will likely be alright going for the final one,” he stated. “I’m doing all the things attainable to be alright. It’s been an enormous 5 – 6 weeks, I’ll all the time attempt to give all the things I probably can.”

“I don’t want to eat my words, but the likelihood I won’t play is very unlikely.”

India confirmed nice character to battle to an surprising draw, given they’re a younger workforce. Shubman Gill, 25, is taking part in his first check collection as captain following the retirements of Indian greats Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin.

Coach Gautam Gambhir reserved particular reward for his skipper, who grew to become solely the third captain to attain 4 a whole lot in a single check collection to assist his facet salvage a draw.

“These are characters who are sat in the dressing room wanting to fight for their country,” Gambhir instructed reporters.

“I don’t consider in one thing like transition. It continues to be an Indian workforce. It is just expertise and inexperience. Being beneath stress, batting 5 classes in opposition to an assault like England, will achieve this a lot for them.”

“An important thing is he (Gill) is living up to his expectations and his talent. When he goes into bat, he goes in as a batsman, not a captain.”