England’s premier all-rounder Ben Stokes has praised the pitch which is being used in the fourth Test match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This came after he helped England put 205 on the board in their first innings.
Joe Root had won the toss and chosen to bat first on a pitch that looked much better with more grass on it. However, the story remained the same, as Axar Patel removed both the openers Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley with 15 runs on the board. Mohammed Siraj then struck twice in quick succession to take wickets of Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, both falling LBW to the Hyderabad fast bowler.
However, Ben Stokes and Dan Lawrence came to England’s rescue, as the duo pushed the team’s score near to 200, which was crossed thanks to some blows by James Anderson and Jack Leach.
We Were Capable Of Scoring More Than What We Did On That Pitch: Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes (55) and Dan Lawrence (46) were the best batsmen for the England side, which would regret that they didn’t make the most of a pitch that even Michael Vaughan said was a good pitch to bat on and called it terrible batsmanship from the visitors for getting out for such a low score.
“We’re more than capable of scoring at least 300 on that pitch. It’s frustrating, but we can’t dwell on it too much. Overall, it’s a much better wicket than the last time we played here,” Stokes said after the day’s play.
Ben Stokes
England has gone in with only three specialist bowlers in this match with Jack Leach and Dom Bess being the spinners, while James Anderson is the sole fast bowler. Ben Stokes was called on to bowl as well despite battling an upset stomach, while Joe Root might also be seen bowling in the coming time.
Rohit Sharma (8 not out) and Cheteshwar Pujara (15 not out) will resume India’s innings on Day 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera. India only needs to win or draw this Test match in order to secure their place in the June final of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship against New Zealand.
Also Read: Jofra Archer Not Considered For The 4th Test Due To Elbow Injury; Ben Stokes And Other England Members Suffering From Stomach Issues
