The fourth Test between England and India at Lord’s began with high anticipation, but the spotlight quickly shifted to a potential injury concern for England captain Ben Stokes. After opting to bat first and stitching together a determined 108-run partnership with Joe Root, Stokes walked off unbeaten on 39 — but not without raising eyebrows about his fitness.
Ben Stokes battles pain late on Day 1 of Lord’s Test
Just before the close of play on Day 1, Stokes showed signs of discomfort after shouldering arms to a delivery from Nitish Reddy. The England skipper immediately clutched his right groin, prompting the physio to rush onto the field for treatment. Though he chose to carry on and finish the day unbeaten, Stokes was clearly struggling, as evident from his laboured running between the wickets. His visible limp and restricted movement raised serious concerns among fans and team management about whether he would be fit enough to resume batting or take the field on Day 2.
Ollie Pope shares update on Stokes’ fitness
Speaking to the media after the day’s play, England vice-captain Ollie Pope addressed concerns surrounding Stokes’ fitness. Pope expressed hope that Ben Stokes would recover in time to make an impact on Day 2 of the Lord’s Test. He mentioned that he hadn’t seen the captain since the end of play but remained optimistic that the injury wasn’t serious. Pope also acknowledged the significance of the ongoing Test and the two upcoming matches in the series, stressing the need to manage Stokes carefully to avoid aggravating the issue.
“Fingers crossed he can do something magic and come back strong. I’ve not seen him since, so fingers crossed there’s nothing too serious. But clearly we’ve got a big Test over the next four days and we’ve got a big two [at Old Trafford and The Oval] coming up as well, so it is important to try and manage him,” said Pope after the end of day’s play.
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Medical team to design recovery plan for England skipper
Pope highlighted his responsibility as vice-captain in helping manage Stokes’ workload. He noted that it was part of his role to ensure that Stokes doesn’t push himself beyond a safe limit, especially considering the physical strain he might be under. Pope further added that the team’s medical staff would work out a recovery plan for Stokes and that he would play his part in supporting the skipper’s rehabilitation process.
“We’ll see how he pulls up, but for me, that is partially one of my roles, to make sure that he doesn’t push himself to a ridiculous place with whatever he’s dealing with at the moment. I’m sure the physios, the medics will work with him to lay out a plan and then I’ll help push him in the right direction,” Pope added.
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