Ben Stokes: England captain says team should be ‘grateful’ to be involved in classic test against New Zealand | Cricket News

Ben Stokes inspired his England facet to really feel “grateful” for his or her involvement in a basic Check match at Basin Reserve, moderately than dwell on the frustration of a heartbreaking one-point loss to New Zealand.

Just one different workforce within the historical past of Check cricket has come near a profitable fourth-innings chase and misplaced, Allan Border’s Australia overwhelmed West Indies by the identical end in 1993, however Stokes refused to be shot.

England requested the hosts to path 226 runs behind on morning three, solely to search out themselves speeding to a stark goal of 258 after an outstanding response from the hosts.

The match had its ups and downs on an exhilarating last day, with New Zealand shifting first with 4 early wickets, just for England to take management with a 121 run stand between Joe Root and Stokes.

The stability of energy shifted steadily because the end line got here into view, however when quantity 11 James Anderson was caught by Neil Wagner with England two to victory there was no extra enjoying playing cards.

Stokes, who’s on a mission to reinvigorate not simply English fortunes however wider curiosity within the Check format, was able to see the larger image.

“That is why you play Check cricket, to be in these instances. To be part of that was superb,” he mentioned.

“What a match, that was loopy. If you cannot look again on that take a look at match, even in our locker room on the shedding facet, and simply be grateful that you just had been concerned in a match like that…when are you able to ?

“Check matches like this do not occur that always, they do not occur all that always. It’s a must to lose video games to essentially respect how good it feels to win. And, if you happen to lose video games, you I prefer to be concerned in a sport like that as an alternative of shedding by 200 factors or no matter. It’d sound foolish since you got here so shut, however I simply assume everybody appreciates this week for what it’s.

“That is to not say for a second that we do not care about successful or shedding. We love successful, but when it does not work out that method, we’ll elevate our fingers and say the opponent was higher than us.”

Stokes ‘does every little thing’ to get match for Ashes

Stokes’ choice to use the follow-up will definitely be scrutinized, having turn out to be solely the fourth captain to take action and lose. However maybe most significantly, after asking New Zealand to beat once more, he was unable to shoot his weight with the ball.

He has lengthy handled a continual left knee situation, managing flare-ups alongside the best way, however has restricted himself to simply two overs in England’s 216 performed.

Stokes admitted he was struggling bodily however made it clear he would nonetheless comply with his £1.6million IPL cope with Chennai Tremendous Kings. With an Ashes summer time simply across the nook, followers shall be protecting their fingers crossed for his health.

“I am not going to lie, it is very irritating to know that one thing is stopping me from enjoying the best way I would like, particularly as a fourth participant,” he mentioned.

“I am not a surgeon however I knew that once I had performed a bit it did not do me good. I now have a 4 month interval to get even higher earlier than the Ashes and I’ll do every little thing I can .

“I have been in several conditions the place I have been good, I have been via conditions the place it hasn’t been good, but when something, I will most likely make my dedication to make it even higher now. I labored onerous with our physio and our medical doctors, however as soon as the video games got here it was troublesome to get every little thing round my knee.

“I’ll the IPL, don’t fret. I’ve had conversations with (CSK coach Stephen Fleming) Flem and he is totally conscious of my physique’s state of affairs in the mean time.”