England captain Ben Stokes was seen limping with a possible groin injury during Day 1 of the third Test at Lord’s on Thursday, raising concerns ahead of a crucial phase in the series against India.
Vice-captain Ollie Pope said he had his “fingers crossed” that Stokes would recover in time, with the series locked at 1-1.
“Fingers crossed he can pull something magical off and come back strong. We’ve got a big Test over the next four days, and two more after this, so it’s important to manage him well,” Pope said after play.
“One of my jobs is to make sure he doesn’t push himself too far”, England’s No. 3 added.
On a hard-fought day, Joe Root held firm with an unbeaten 99 as England reached 251/4 in 83 overs at stumps. Pope contributed 44 off 104 balls as England, known for their aggressive ‘Bazball’ approach, opted for a more measured innings against a disciplined Indian attack.
“It was not necessarily the way we are used to starting the first innings but 251/4 is a pretty good score. Hopefully we can take it past 400, maybe 500,” Pope said. “Considering the nature of the surface and the way India bowled, it’s a day we’ll take. We had to adapt — that’s something we’re always trying to improve, working out when to press and when to absorb pressure.”
England will resume play on Friday with Root one run short of his 31st Test century.
—IANS
