Srinagar: Hosts England are facing anxious time around its captain Ben Stokes as the all-rounder suffered a groin injury while batting on the opening day of the third Test against India at Lord’s.
Stokes was unbeaten on 39 off 102 balls at stumps, with England finishing the day on 251 for 4. Joe Root remained not out on 99 after a steady innings on a sluggish pitch.
The concern arose when Stokes, batting on 32, took a forward stride to a delivery from Nitish Kumar Reddy outside the off-stump. He immediately grimaced in pain and clutched his right groin.
After receiving on-field treatment from the physio, he continued to bat but was visibly uncomfortable—limping between runs and stretching at the non-striker’s end to stay loose.
His discomfort became more evident as the second new ball was introduced, with Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep extracting swing to test the batters further.
Root looked to bring up his century with a glance to backward point while on 98, but only managed a single as Ravindra Jadeja made a sharp stop and cheekily gestured for a second. Root declined the risk, mindful of Stokes’ mobility issues.
Ollie Pope, who scored 44 from 104 balls before being dismissed by Jadeja immediately after tea, expressed hope that Stokes’ condition would improve overnight.
“Fingers crossed he can do something magic and come back strong,” Pope said.
“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.”
As vice-captain, Pope acknowledged his responsibility in ensuring Stokes doesn’t overextend himself.
“We’ll see how he pulls up tomorrow, 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,” Pope said. “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.”
Stokes played a pivotal role in England’s win in the first Test at Headingley, where he returned to bowling after two hamstring surgeries within six months.
He bowled 19 overs in India’s first innings at Edgbaston and seven in the second, maintaining an economy rate of 3.71. However, India bounced back to win that match by 336 runs, leveling the five-match series 1-1.
Having undergone knee surgery in late 2023, Stokes has fought hard to resume bowling duties.
His willingness to play through pain has long been admired, but with the series delicately poised, England’s management will have to carefully assess the risks heading into Day 2.
