Ben Stokes bullish on England's chances of winning India Test series despite big loss
By
SABC Sport
18th February 2024
England captain Ben Stokes says they still have a "great chance" of winning the five-Test series against India and urged the squad not to let the 434-run defeat get to them.
Despite admitting England came off second best in his 100th Test, Stokes believes poor implementation - rather than the attacking methods they have fostered in the last couple of years - was to blame.
He said: œWe were outplayed. Did we go into our shells a little bit because of the situation? That™s not what we do. I don™t think we need to temper anything, we need to look at our execution this week.
œLosing games for England isn™t where you want to be but games are won or lost in the head. You™ve got to learn from disappointment but use it in a positive way, not let it eat you.
œI know that thinking too deep into certain things can send you on a downhill spiral. It™s about what we do the next two games.
œI just make sure all the emotion, all the disappointment there would be in that dressing room, make sure it stays there. We™ve got two games left and all I™m thinking about is winning this series 3-2.
England never threatened to achieve the unthinkable as India™s attack - latterly bolstered by the return of Ravichandran Ashwin following his departure due to a family medical emergency - tore through the tourists™ beleaguered line-up.
œIt doesn™t always work out how you want, but we still have a great chance to win the trophy 3-2, Stokes told TNT Sports.
œWe leave this game behind us, just as we did with the first two matches, and we know we have to win the next two games to take the series.
Ravindra Jadeja led the way with five for 41 as Stokes™ side were skittled in 39.4 overs.
Stokes was asked if England™s aggressive style could be perceived as reckless.
œEveryone has a perception and an opinion about things but the opinions of the people in the dressing room are the only one that matters to us, the England skipper continued.
œWe know that things don™t always work out how you want them to.
œBen Duckett (153) played an unbelievable first innings and that was the tone we wanted to set throughout and it was about identifying that opportunity to push the scoreboard on and get as close as we could do to India™s total.
œI wanted us to be bowling yesterday, even though it came earlier than we expected, because of how we felt the wicket was going. We wanted to push the game on as much as we possibly could, but sometimes gameplans don™t work out and that is sport sometimes.
In a subsequent on-pitch interview with former England spinner Graeme Swann on TNT Sports, Stokes added: œOf course, I am very disappointed to be on the wrong side of a result but the one thing we are very good at as a team is leaving it behind us and focusing on what is ahead.
œGames can be won and loss in the head so we will be leaving all the disappointment and emotion from this week and moving on to the next one.
