Joe Root has admitted defeat in his attempt to limit Ben Stokes’ exertions after the England skipper’s herculean effort in the nail-biting Lord’s showdown with India. Concerns had been high over Stokes’ fitness, given his history of knee and hamstring issues, which had limited his bowling capabilities over the past three years. Yet, despite backroom staff anxieties, he pushed himself through gruelling spells of nine and 11 overs, contributing to England’s narrow 22-run victory.
Root, fresh from his 37th Test century propelling him to the top of the world rankings, likened the challenge of prising the ball from their Bazball architect to wrestling lunch from a crocodile’s grip. Stokes’ all-round performance in the third Test, which included 77 runs, six wickets, and a crucial run-out of India’s maverick Rishabh Pant, earned him the man of the match accolade.
However, it was his astonishing 44 overs bowled that left his colleagues in awe, prompting Root to quip: “So much for stopping his long spells!
“Well, I tried for five years, but that’s his call now. It’s just how he’s built, I guess. He’s desperate to be the man and to make things happen. I was panicking that he wasn’t going to make it through the game after a couple of bad injuries, but he clearly trusts his body now.
“It’s a great sign for us moving forward that he’s back to his best. He’s got sharp, kept one going, everything he could possibly want – and he kept his pace up.
“He appeared menacing throughout because he possesses that awkward angle (of delivery) where he’s beyond the perpendicular, so even when it’s not doing anything he draws people into play. And clearly he’s got that mentality and desire to win games. We’re lucky to have him as a leader.
“You can try to stop him (bowling) but it doesn’t make any difference. I mentioned it, but he doesn’t always listen to me – he didn’t listen to me when I was captain. He knows what he’s doing and he’s got a good handle on where he’s at physically.”
Root, 34, also praised off-spinner Shoaib Bashir for the ‘Pink Panther’ delivery which removed final batsman Mohammed Siraj’s leg bail to secure triumph.
Bashir will be absent for the remainder of the series following surgery to mend the fractured little finger on his non-bowling hand, yet courageously he emerged to bat during England’s second innings before a match-winning contribution at the climax.
The delivery which left Siraj frozen in anguish spun viciously, as though in reverse motion, and Root grinned: “It looked like that ball was on remote control, like it was from the Pink Panther or something. It was amazing how it all turned out, like it was written in the stars for him.
“For him to be big enough and brave enough to do that shows what it means to everyone. That’s the biggest honour within our group – to see such a young lad do that for the rest of the crew was really special.
“It was a physical slog but we’ve got a week to recover, so it was always going to be a case of throwing everything at them for as long as we possibly could on that last day. India were never going to back down – they are a very good team, a passionate team, so it was going to take a big effort from us.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk