England captain Ben Stokes has insisted he is ready to continue digging deep for his country, promising he will “not be left behind” as he recovers from recent injury problems.
Stokes suffered a hamstring problem while making 37 overs in the third Test and was forced to watch from the sidelines the final stages of his side’s 423-run out by New Zealand in Hamilton.
He did not appear again and handed the captaincy reins to Ollie Pope on the field and decided not to be beaten as England ended on 234. This was less than a third of the way to the massive goal of 658.
England still take the series 2-1, their first success on these shores since 2008, and the last order of business before they depart is to get Stokes scanned at a nearby hospital.
familiar territory
This is familiar territory for the 33-year-old, who badly tore the same left hamstring in August and underwent major knee surgery on his left knee over a year ago.
His body may be rebelling after over a decade of international cricket, but he will not consider the idea of reducing his workload or toning down the intensity he prides himself on.
“No, I have no hesitation,” he said after finishing at Seddon Park.
“I was obviously incredibly disappointed walking in last time, very emotional about the whole thing. But as you sleep, suppress your emotions, and become an athlete, you realize that every time you take the field, you are putting yourself at risk for injury.
“I’ve worked really hard to get myself into a position where I can play my part in this game, and it’s kind of a rule that sometimes I feel like I’m young again.”
Come back stronger
He continued: “Every time I get frustrated, I come back stronger. I have no doubt that I will leave here, work as hard as I always have, and get back to where I came from. That’s my job.
“I literally can’t say anything more until I jump into the MRI scanner and wait for the expert’s report. And then we’ll go from there. But there is some time left before we meet again as a Test team.”
Stokes missed his fourth successive Test match against Sri Lanka and Pakistan due to the previous lay-off, his first since taking charge two-and-a-half years ago, but has now been away from red-ball action for five months. .
Coach Brendon McCullum is prepared to step in if he feels his leaders are pushing him too far, but he happily embraces his risk-taking nature as part of his X factor.
“He takes himself to places other people aren’t prepared for and that’s what makes him great,” McCullum said on the BBC’s Test Match Special.
push boundaries
“He’s constantly pushing the boundaries of where he thinks he can take his body. There are times when I have to remind him that he’s not as young as he used to be, but I also don’t want to rob him of that talent.
“If you try to shave off the rough edges of that type of creative product, you end up with a vanilla product and no one wants that. We want Ben Stokes to be one of a kind.”
England are ready for a much-needed red-ball breather after a devastating 2024. They ended on credit after winning 9 and losing 8 in the bumper 17 Tests.
A sour taste remains
Missing out their final outing of the year by such an impressive margin – the fourth-biggest run defeat in their history – may have left a bitter taste, but after taking home the newly-inaugurated Crowe-Thorpe Trophy, Stokes reflected well on his profession. complete.
“We held hands. We are a much better team than we showed this week. But we came here to beat New Zealand and we achieved what we set out to achieve,” he said.
“It’s obviously disappointing to end the Tour and end the year on a high note with a loss. I am very happy with 2024. “We have given many opportunities to experienced players who have proven they have what it takes to deliver match-winning moments at the highest level.”
Read more: England lost the final Test against New Zealand by 423 runs.
