“We have been outplayed by better team”: England skipper Ben Stokes on 4-1 series loss to India

Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], March 9 (ANI): Having faced an innings and 64 runs defeat in the final Test of the five-match series at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium here on Friday, England skipper Ben Stokes said that they were outplayed by the better team in the series and they could not seize their moments.

“We have been outplayed by the better team of the series. We got so much cricket coming up, so looking forward to it. When you look at the series as a whole, in those small moments we haven’t been able to keep it going. We all know as individuals as to where it all went wrong. When India get on top with the ball, a lot men come around the bat and you got to find ways to keep those guys out of play and you need to be positive enough to take those risks and sometimes it could lead to downfall,” Stokes said at the post-match presentation.

“Crawley and Duckett continuing their partnership at the top and Bashir and Hartley have been really exceptional the whole series and Root coming into form at the backend is really exciting ahead of our summer. Amazing to be on the field with Jimmy. Seven hundred wickets for a seamer is quite phenomenal, from the day he first started being a cricketer to where he is now, the desire and commitment is still there and he if the fittest cricketer I have ever seen,” the all-rounder added.

England won the toss and were bundled out for 218 in their first innings in the fifth Test. Kuldeep Yadav (5/72) and Ravichandran Ashwin (4/51) topped the bowling charts for India.

India scored 477 runs in the first innings. England had a deficit of 259 runs as they began their second inning. Though Joe Root (84 in 128 balls, with 12 fours) attempted to fight it out for England, he got very little support from the other end.

Jonny Bairstow (39 in 31 balls, with three fours and three sixes) and Tom Hartley (20 in 24 balls, with four boundaries) contributed respectable scores, but nothing could help Root avert a disaster as England were bundled out for 195. England lost the series 4-1.

Ashwin (5/77) was the pick of the bowlers for India. Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah took two wickets each, while Ravindra Jadeja got one.