Birmingham [UK], July 7 (ANI): England captain Ben Stokes admitted his side was outclassed by a “world-class” Indian team as the visitors cruised to a commanding 336-run victory in Birmingham.
India skipper Shubman Gill took home the ‘Player of the Match’ award, and “Men in Blue” levelled the series 1-1.
Speaking after the game, Stokes reflected on key turning points that shifted momentum away from the hosts, despite “two moments” where they looked in control.
“Two moments,” Stokes began.
“Having them at 200 for 5, we were really happy there and not being able to burst them open there and being 80 for 5, it’s tough to be able to scrape it back from there,” he added.
Stokes also addressed his decision to bowl first, a call that appeared promising early on but backfired as the match progressed.
“It’s a tough one. As I said, when you have them on 200 for 5 you’d be happy, but as the game got deeper and deeper, it suited India more than us,” he noted.
India’s charge was led by Shubman Gill, who delivered a stunning performance with the bat, scoring 269 in the first innings and following it up with 161 in the second, amassing a colossal 430 runs in the match.
Stokes was full of praise for the Indian team and the young Indian batter, “The opposition is world class, Shubman had a fantastic game.”
Despite the defeat, Stokes acknowledged individual efforts that gave England brief hope. Jamie Smith, in particular, was a bright spot, scoring an unbeaten 184 in the first innings and an attacking 88 in the second, tallying 272 runs in the match. Harry Brook also impressed with a fluent 158 in the first innings.
“Jamie’s been incredible since he’s come into the team. He’s been exceptional with the bat and goes massively under the radar as a wicketkeeper. He stuck to his guns and played his natural game, and the way he and Harry were able to get momentum back, even though it wasn’t enough, was great,” Stokes said.
Looking ahead to the next Test at Lord’s, Stokes said, “Couple of days to think about it, but it’s been a tough week, so we’ll see how we shape up at Lord’s.” (ANI)
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