Ben Stokes has issued a firm warning to India ahead of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, making it clear that England will not back down from any on-field confrontations. In a pre-match press conference, Stokes highlighted the intensity of the series, with England leading 2-1, saying, “It’s a massive series and heat will be shown. Have England been nice? Potentially. We won’t purposely start anything, but we won’t take any backward step.” He also shared that the team enjoyed a well-needed break after their win at Lord’s, joking about feeling like he was in a long-distance relationship with his family during the rest.
Regarding the slow over-rate penalties faced by England, Stokes defended the team’s performance at Lord’s by explaining the challenges on the field. He pointed out that injuries to spinner Shoaib Bashir meant England had to rely heavily on fast bowlers on the final day, which naturally slowed the game. “We played five days, that was our 15th day of cricket. With Bashir injured, we couldn’t use our spinner much and had to throw seamers for most of the day, which slows things down,” he said.
Stokes also suggested that over-rate rules should consider different bowling styles and conditions, explaining that spinners’ overs typically take less time than those of seamers. He emphasized the physical toll on fast bowlers, adding that the current system doesn’t always reflect the reality on the field.
