WI vs ENG: "What Do You Want From Us"- Ben Stokes Slams Critics Questioning England's Performance In 1st Test

The first Test between West Indies and England ended in a draw. It led many to question England’s tactics as they opted to drop James Anderson and Stuart Broad from the squad. It resulted in Ben Stokes bowling a truckload of overs in the first test and getting exhausted by the end of the Test match.

Ben Stokes bowled 41 overs in the Test match and took only three wickets. West Indies scored 147/4 in the second innings and by the time the Test match ended, the England all-rounder said that he felt a bit ‘knackered’ after the Test.

“There have been a few comments after the match about the way we went about things in this game, but let me reassure you that things are very simple for us. We are trying to win,” Stokes wrote in his column for The Mirror.

“I sat in the changing room after the game and was absolutely knackered. All of us had given it everything on the field and we could all be satisfied with our efforts. That is what it takes to win Test matches, and when the senior players like Rooty and myself are demanding total effort, of course we have to bring the same,” he added.

He also gave an update on his health saying that he is doing fine and that the work that he put on his fitness before the start of the Test series helped him to go through it.

“I know there might have been some concerns about how many overs I bowled in the match, especially after coming back from a side injury, but I felt fine to bowl them. In the run up to the game, I didn’t know how much I could bowl because it was still a new experience, but that is what my fitness work and preparation is for,” Stokes further added in his column.

The England all-rounder also looked back to their Ashes series defeat against Australia. They lost 0-4 and Stokes said that England lost to a better Australian team in the series but that does not mean the players did not try to win.

We Were Beaten By A Better Team: Ben Stokes On Ashes Series Defeat

“Nothing could be further from the truth. We were beaten by a better team. But now that we are fighting hard to win and are closer to that happening, people want Rooty (Joe Root) not to let me bowl even though I’m able! What do you want from us?” he added.

The second test between West Indies and England starts from March 16 in Barbados.

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