Ben Stokes Unlikely To Bowl Further In The 2nd Test Owing To Knee Injury

New Zealand have made a good start against England in the second Test in Hamilton putting 173 runs for the loss of three wickets on day one. The visitors who are 0-1 down in the series would be desperate to bounce back in this Test match. But the problems continue to pile on them. After missing Jos Buttler due to injury, they might lose Ben Stokes from bowling again in this match after experiencing a recurrence of a knee problem.

Meanwhile, England made a stunning start after opting to bowl first in Hamilton. He reduced the Kiwis to 39 for two removing Jeet Raval and skipper Kane Williamson with Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes shedding fire with the new ball. But Tom Latham and Ross Taylor resisted well to bring the host out of danger. They added 116 runs for the third wickets with both batsmen reaching their fifties before Woakes returned to dismiss Taylor (53).

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Ben Stokes suffers injury

But Latham continued on his brilliance scoring his 11th Test century to help New Zealand post 173 runs before the umpires called for the day. While both the teams shared the day, England received a setback with Ben Stokes unlikely to bowl again in this match. The all-rounder reported pain in his left knee as he completed his second over in Hamilton. While he remained on the field, the England management said the injury would be assessed before a decision was made over whether he would bowl again in the first innings.

Stokes’ knee has been a long-time problem for the cricketer. He underwent surgery in May 2016 after tearing cartilage while bowling against Sri Lanka and admitted that he was still managing it ahead of this series. It will be a massive jolt for the visiting team if Ben Stokes fails to recover and doesn’t bowl in this Test match again.

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