Manchester Test: Ben Stokes unlikely to bowl on final day
What's the story
As England gear up for the final day of the fourth Test against India, uncertainty looms over captain Ben Stokes's bowling fitness. The all-rounder had a stellar first innings with five wickets but missed out on bowling in India's second innings on Day 4 due to stiffness and soreness. England's assistant coach Marcus Trescothick confirmed they will "wait and see" how Stokes feels on Sunday before making a decision about his role in the match.
Fitness issues
Stokes bats through morning session, misses 2nd innings
Stokes had to retire hurt with cramp on day three, and his fitness was still a concern as he batted through the morning session on Saturday. Resuming the day on 77*, he ended up scoring 141 runs, his first Test century in two years. However, he didn't bowl in India's second innings due to stiffness and soreness. Trescothick expressed hope that Stokes would feel better by Sunday and be ready to play a key role in England's push for victory.
Words
'We will assess it overnight and see what happens'
Trescothick said that England will assess Stokes overnight and take it from there. "We are still hopeful he will be better tomorrow and come back out, be a bit looser and ready to go again," Trescothick told BBC Test Match Special. "We will assess it overnight and see what happens."
Match dynamics
Manchester Test: Gill, Rahul stage fightback for India against England
Despite Stokes's absence in the second innings, England looked on course for victory when Chris Woakes dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan in the first over. Both players perished for ducks with India being 0/2. However, India captain Shubman Gill and opener KL Rahul batted out 62.1 overs of the day, adding an unbeaten 174 stand. India will count on the two batters to hang on and bat as many overs as possible on Day 5.