Ben Stokes ‘doesn’t understand’ England critics after first Test series defeat as captain

Captain Ben Stokes batted away suggestions that England paid for a lack of ruthlessness after they lost the fourth Test – and with it the series – against India in Ranchi.

England could not stop the hosts chasing down 192, despite rookie spinner Shoaib Bashir claiming three more wickets, as India wrapped up victory by five wickets and an unassailable 3-1 lead.

The tourists paid for letting India pile on late runs in the first innings and then seeing their own batting order crumble as they slipped to a first series defeat in the Bazball era under Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.

But he said: “Everyone goes into the game with their best intentions. When it doesn’t pay off people say we’re not ruthless but when they do, they say we are. I don’t really understand the saying.

“We try to do what we think is the best way to win the game. It can be a throwaway comment when people say we’re not ruthless enough. You can say everything is a missed chance when it doesn’t go well.

“When India have a sniff in conditions like that, any team is going to find it hard. When you’ve got three world-class spinners operating in those conditions, you know you’re going to be up against it.

“Nothing is impossible, but it was nigh-on impossible to operate how we wanted to. Cricket is always skill against skill. On this occasion, their skill was better than ours.”

England’s hopes of making the fifth Test in Dharamshala next month a series decider faded as Shubman Gill (52 not out) and Dhruv Jurel (39no) steered India to the win.

“We didn’t have a chance in hell of even competing with India but that wasn’t an easy win and I think they would admit that,” Stokes added.

“We always still felt in the game. Even with 30 runs left, we knew that if we went bang-bang [and took two wickets], all the pressure was back on India.”

Stokes also singled out Bashir for special praise after the 20-year-old finished only his eighth first-class match with eight wickets.

“Shoaib Bashir, wow. What a journey, what a story,” he said. “Coming here and taking eight wickets in the game, getting his first five-wicket as a professional in a Test match against India, the sky is the limit for that guy so very proud of him.”

Stokes also hailed the performance of Joe Root, after the former Test skipper answered his critics with a first-innings century.

“Joe Root, incredible knock and I know he has taken a fair bit of criticism which I don’t think is very fair,” he said. “This is his 31st Test-match hundred; class is permanent, form is temporary.”