Ben Stokes was batting on 66 when he walked off.
English skipper Ben Stokes walked off while he was batting on 66 in the fourth Test of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He was batting well, and seemed to be in fine touch when he suddenly made the decision to walk off the pitch citing reasons which were unknown at first. Stokes and Root were in the midst of a 142-run partnership and England held a crucial lead of 133 runs.
MAL
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HKG
–
WI
–
AUS
–
RWA
–
ML
–
TBC
–
TBC
–
ROM
178/6
LUX
11/0
HUN
–
AUST
–
AUST
–
LUX
–
TBC
–
TBC
–
TBC
–
TBC
–
ALZ
21/3
JIHCC
163/4
RPH
–
MAR
–
JIHCC
–
ALZ
–
RPH
–
JIHCC
–
ALZ
–
RPH
–
TBC
–
TBC
–
TBC
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TBC
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TBC
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TBC
–
TBC
–
TBC
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BOT-W
16/3
MWW-W
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EWW-W
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LSN-W
13/2
RWA-W
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SLO-W
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CW-W
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MZW-W
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GUJCC
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SUL
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CHK
–
TCC
–
FRC
122/4
KLG
108/6
Fatemi Resources Cricket Club beat KL Gladiators by 14 runs
JBK
80/4
SWCL
106/5
Sky Warriors Cricket Club beat JB Kings by 26 runs
UTC
78/4
MXC
80/2
Maxx Cricket Club beat Utkal Cricket Club by 8 wickets
MKP
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MBMS
5/1
FRC
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MXC
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JBK
–
MBMS
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UTC
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KLG
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MKP
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SWCL
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UAE
121/3
NIG
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KNY
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NBA
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KNY
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NIG
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UAE
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UGA
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VMK
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MMS
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MAK
154/9
BDS
155/4
Boost Defenders beat Mis Ainak Knights by 6 wickets
ASS
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SGT
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WIU19-W
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USAU19-W
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WIU19-W
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USAU19-W
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TBLZ-W
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BRB-W
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TBC
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TBC
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Match Cancelled
SUR-W
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TBC
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IAC
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AAC
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PNC
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WIC
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SAC
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AAC
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IAC
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EDC
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NZ
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SA
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IRE-W
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ZIM-W
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Joe Root jumped to the second spot in the list of the most Test runs, only behind Sachin Tendulkar. He overtook Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting on the way to his milestone. On the second Day of the Test, India were bowled out for 358, thanks to even contributions from several batters. But to everyone’s surprise, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett came out all guns blazing. England just lost two wickets on Day 2, and have notched 500 runs by the subsequent afternoon. Having said that, Ben Stokes going taking a leave in this fashion has sent fitness doubts across fans.
Though there was no physical injury, the English skipper was seen limping a bit while he was walking off the turf. While there were questions about his fitness after the long string of overs he has bowled, the English Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that the reason he walked away was just a slight cramp and nothing major. Stokes has done a fair bit of bowling in the series, and has been England’s best bowler by far. His move might just be the indication of his body showing signs of stiffness after a long series.
Whether he can or not is a question to be answered later. The first question is, whether England will need him to. And considering the position they are in, it doesn’t look like. The hosts have already notched up 500 runs on the board, and look in a very strong position if we consider the position of the match. Overall, if it is just a cramp, Ben Stokes can return to bat if he wants to. But we doubt if he would really be needed to.
Having the upper hand in the game, the hosts will look to skittle India out cheaply to register an emphatic victory in the match. They will not just win the match, but also the series by a margin of 3-1. This Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy has seen everything that a fiery Test series has to offer, and we are just in the fourth Test.
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Well, more than his batting, this is the question England will be more concerned about. Ben Stokes has, by far been the best bowler for the hosts over the series. They will want him to stay extremely fit for the entirety of the series, and not just this match. However, a cramp is a regular occurrence in the career of an athlete, and the English skipper will be well poised to deal with it at this level.
Stokes’ bowling was one of the most important reasons due to which England could register a victory in the third Test at Lord’s. He bowled many overs on the trot to helped his team script an amazing victory. The angles that he is able to create due to his action work brilliantly in his favour. To the right hander, it feels as if the ball is angling in towards him. But then, it goes away from the right-handed batter, just when he is committed to the cause of playing. Stokes is also an amazing reader of the game.
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