by England will enter the second day of the third test against India at Lords with new doubts about the fitness of the inspiring captain Ben Stokes.
The skipper drove on Thursday on the opening day with an apparently an apparently appearing problem with the treatment in the field before entering until they were closed.
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England was 251-4 in stumps, with Joe Root 99 and Stokes, who won the throw, undefeated to 39.
The 34-year-old Stokes career was used by injuries with a long-term knee problem in 2023, while the all-rounder has suffered two serious thigh tears in the past eight months.
In an encouraging development for the team, Stokes was able to work as a full-fledged all-rounder in the last games after his fitness problems had restricted its effects as a lively sailor.
However, this is its importance for the team’s balance, with England currently building 1: 1 in a fixed-tent series at home against India, while they are based on a showpiece-Ashes tour through Australia that the team bosses will hope that the incident on Thursday is only a small problem.
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“The fingers crossed it is nothing too serious and he can do something magical and come back strongly,” said England Vice captain Ollie Pope. “We’ll see how he picks up tomorrow (Friday).
“We have a big test in the next four days and then we have a big two, so it is important to manage it.
“This is one of my roles to make sure that he is not pushing in a ridiculous place to a ridiculous place with what he has to do.
“I am sure that the physios and doctors will work with him to put a plan and I will push him in the right direction,” added Pope, who made 44 on Thursday.
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The game ended with root only a run of his 37th test a hundred and a record -proof eight century at Lord’s.
However, Pope does not expect the Star Schlagmann to suffer too many nerves overnight.
“Obviously he would have loved to have a hundred red (not out), but he has 36 of them, so I don’t think he will be too sleepless,” said Pope. “He will get his head down.
“It would have been nice to see how he gets it tonight, but he will look at the overall picture and try to make it a monster -innings. Hopefully we can record 500 and get 400 towards 500.”
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