England captain Ben Stokes remains confident of a quick return from a hamstring injury, sustained during the recently concluded test against New Zealand in Hamilton.
Stokes pulled up during Day 2 of the third and final test against the Kiwi side, as he was into his 13th over of the innings. He left the field while clutching his left hamstring and never returned to the field for the rest of the game. It was the same injury he suffered during the Men’s Hundred 2024 in August. It forced him to miss two months of cricketing action and returned to lead the England side from the second test against Pakistan.
However, the New Zealand series saw him take an extra bowling load. After going wicketless in the first game, he finished the series with seven scalps. In fact, the Hamilton fixture saw him bowling the most (36.2) overs since the Headingley test in 2022, where he delivered 40 overs.
Ben Stokes will undergo a scan on Wednesday to understand the extent of his injury. However, his knee was heavily strapped as he didn’t come out to bat in England’s second innings, which signals a little serious setback for the all-rounder. However, he chose to belittle the fact and assured everyone of his quick recovery and making a comeback.
“I worked really hard to get myself into position to play the role that I did this game,” he said. “And it’s just one of those unfortunate things. But nah, I ain’t holding back,” Stokes was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“You’re always asking yourself, ‘Could I have done more? Should have done this, should have done that?’ But you know, when you sleep in it, and you take the emotion out of it, you realise that when you’re walking out there, you’re always putting yourself at risk of an injury,” he added.
The series saw Stokes slam 158 runs at an average of 52.66, with a top score of 80.
Ben Stokes-led England side wins the series but end 2024 on a losing note
The England side suffered a shattering loss in the final test of the series against New Zealand in Hamilton. They started the day on 18/2 and got support from Jacob Bethell (76) and Joe Root (54).
However, the other batters couldn”t be potent enough, as England were bundled out for 234 in a chase of 658. Mitchell Santner was the pick of the bowlers with four scalps for the Kiwi side. Nevertheless, the England side managed to win the series 2-1.
2024 marked the busiest calendar year for England, comprising 17 tests. The side went on to win nine games and lost eight of them. They suffered a 4-1 defeat against India earlier this year.
FAQs
What is England’s position in WTC standings?
6th
Who scored the most runs in the series?
Kane Williamson – 345 runs
