England all-rounder Ben Stokes spoke about how he and his teammates suffered sudden weight loss during the 4th Test match against India which was played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad.
England team was hit by a stomach bug, which left the management working extra hard to keep the players fit and going in the Ahmedabad heat. England lost the four-Test series 1-3 after going down in the final match by an innings and 25 runs last week.
“Players are totally committed to England and I think that was emphasized last week when a few of us went down with an illness that made operating in 41-degree heat particularly taxing," Stokes told Daily Mirror.
"I lost 5kg in a week, Dom Sibley 4kg and Jimmy Anderson 3kg among others. Jack Leach was ducking off the field in between bowling spells and spending more time than is ideal in the toilet,” he added.
Rishabh Pant’s century and Washington Sundar’s 96* guided India to 365 in their first innings, after England had made 205 in theirs. But England couldn’t do better in the second innings, making 135, and lost the Test by an innings.
"This is in no way an excuse because everyone was ready to play, and India and Rishabh Pant especially produced a terrific performance, but I take off my hat to the effort that was put in by players who gave everything they had to try and win for England," Stokes said.
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Stokes said a loss like this can dent the confidence of the youngsters in the team.
"For a lot of guys this was their first tour of India and it has been a steep learning curve, but that is part and parcel of being a cricketer at this level. The next test is how you react to those moments. I wouldn't want any player, especially a young lad like Ollie Pope, Zak Crawley or Dom Sibley, leaving this tour and thinking they are not good enough to be here. They most definitely are,” Stokes said.
England will next play India in a five-match T20I series beginning on 12 March in Ahmedabad.
(PTI inputs)
