Ben Stokes stated that England will not allow their crushing loss to India in the third Test to affect their performance for the rest of the series. Despite being dissatisfied with the use of technology for the second consecutive defeat, the captain is determined to move forward.

The second event was not significant enough to be considered a turning point due to the unexpected outcome; Yashasvi Jaiswal’s impressive score of 214 not out and Ravindra Jadeja’s five wickets led to a crushing defeat of 434 runs – England’s second largest margin of defeat in history.

Stokes’ complaints about Zak Crawley’s dismissal, where he was given out lbw to Jasprit Bumrah with the ball barely grazing the leg-stump bail, were a result of his team’s overall poor performance. This was evident in their second collapse of the match, where they lost eight wickets for 95 runs on the disastrous third day.

“I have participated in 100 Test matches and I am aware that overthinking can lead to a downward spiral,” stated Stokes, whose team is currently behind 2-1 with two more matches remaining.

When I talk after a loss, it’s our actions afterwards that truly matter. The mindset is what causes us to lose games. If we hold onto any negative thoughts, we’re already starting the next week at a disadvantage.

“In the dressing room, I emphasized the importance of leaving all emotions and disappointment behind and focusing solely on the fourth Test.”

Stokes expressed his belief that Crawley was wrongly given lbw on the last day in Visakhapatnam. He and head coach Brendon McCullum spoke to match referee Jeff Crowe about a confusion regarding the Hawk-Eye projection, which appeared to show the ball missing.

Stokes stated that he was informed that the calculations were accurate, but the resulting graphic was incorrect and the expected impact was likely to be minimal at best. However, this could be seen as an attempt to divert attention from his team’s shortcomings during the four-day period.

Stokes expressed uncertainty about his interpretation of the discussion with Crowe. He believes that when those in authority acknowledge a problem, it speaks for itself.

In my opinion, if the ball makes contact with the stumps, it should be considered as hitting the stumps. The concept of umpire’s call should be eliminated. I don’t want to dwell on this topic too much as it may come across as complaining and blaming our loss on it.

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That much was true. More rele­vant was the dropped catch by Joe Root on day one, 27 runs into Rohit Sharma’s eventual 133, or the first‑innings collapse that left ­bowlers barely recharged. Root cut a bereft figure all match, his much debated ­dismissal to the reverse scoop on day three ­summing up a disappointing tour so far.

Stokes stated that he doesn’t feel qualified to doubt someone with 30 centuries and almost 12,000 runs in Test matches. He believes that the person knows what they are doing. Stokes also disagrees with the idea that Root’s bowling responsibilities are negatively impacting his batting.

Stokes has expressed interest in resuming his bowling at some point during the series. He had previously assured the medical team that he would not rush his recovery after undergoing knee surgery in November.

“I achieved a perfect score during my first bowl in practice,” he stated. “As an individual, I tend to act impulsively at times. I need to gradually acclimate my entire body to bowling, so I cannot say definitively yes or no.”

Source: theguardian.com