Ben Stokes feels England were let down by technology at a crucial moment as they slipped to a series-levelling Test defeat against India – but the captain has refused to blame the result on “if, buts and maybes”.
The tourists were bowled out for 292 on day four of the second Test in Visakhapatnam, going down by 106 runs as they fell well short of a history-making chase.
Opener Zak Crawley had looked the man most likely to do something special and his dismissal for 73 just before lunch turned the game decisively in India’s favour.
Kuldeep Yadav’s lbw shout was initially turned down by experienced umpire Marais Erasmus, who judged the ball to missing leg stump, but DRS ruled in the bowler’s favour when ball-tracking suggested it was going on to hit.
England lost Jonny Bairstow in the next over and never quite recovered.
“My personal opinion is that the technology has gone wrong on this occasion. That’s where I stand on it,” the England captain said.
“Technology in the game is obviously there and everyone has an understanding of the reasons it can never be 100 per cent. That’s why we have the ‘umpire’s call’.
“So when it’s not 100 per cent, I don’t think it’s unfair for someone to say ‘I think the technology has got it wrong’.
“I will say that, but in a game full of ifs, buts and maybes I am not going to say that’s the reason why we haven’t got the result we wanted.”
England’s score was the second-highest fourth-innings total any overseas team have scored in Indian conditions, but the scale of their target was simply too great to overcome without a big century to build around.
Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes and Tom Hartley were all battling against illness that emerged in the camp overnight, along with the injured Jack Leach at the team hotel, leaving Stokes proud of the fight his side put up.
“There’s a bit of a virus going round, a couple of guys woke up not feeling great,” he said.
“It’s not ideal, you want everyone to be feeling great but I’m proud that the guys who were feeling under the weather didn’t shy away and gave it their best.”
England’s aggressive display in defeat and even dismissals like Joe Root’s for 16, an agricultural heave from the side’s most elegant player, do not give Stokes pause for thought.
“I think our approach is what we’re known for, the way in which we play,” he said.
“We want to stay very true to ourselves. I was happy with the way we went about that chase. That’s exactly how we play cricket. It won’t always work but a loss is a loss; you don’t get any points losing by five and you don’t get less for losing by 100.”
Tony
Roar Guru
The other batsman of course
Linphoma
Roar Rookie
The problem I see is the failure of selecting someone who can drop anchor and play the defensive game I’d like to think. None of the top six are built for comfort, maybe Root in a technical sense, but they’re built for speed. And as my mother said when I got my license, Speed kills. No guarantee they could have chased 399 down but you’d fancy a better chance with a Pujara-like/Dravid-like/Larry Gomes-like in the mix.
danwain
Roar Rookie
Stokes should probably look at his own dismissal, and his lack of urgency getting up the other end. Very lazy cricket.
Dave
Roar Rookie
You should scroll through the replay (back and forwards if necessary) - it is on the Roar website. The ball lands in line with the leg stump, then travels on to hit the pad still on leg stump - it is almost travelling exactly straight, just moving a miniscule bit to the leg side. There was no dudding, it was out.
The Iron Dingo
Roar Rookie
What a bloody sook - some go your way, others don't, the way it's always been. At least these days the technology is there to stop the absolute stinkers. What's his excuse for running himself out?
Jack
Roar Rookie
Moral victory for the Poms. It's never their fault they lose. Change the tune Stokes.
The Barry
Roar Guru
“I think our approach is what we’re known for, the way in which we play,” I guess it’s all Bazball all of the time, but I wonder if there’s any reflection that the batsman most likely to get them there, scored at a relatively sedate 55 runs per 100 It seems that rather than reflect on Crawley’s contribution, Stokes would rather complain about his dismissal…
ColinT
Roar Rookie
England morally won, but the technology let them down.
OrchardTrees
Roar Rookie
Honestly... When I saw those three reds come up yesterday I was shocked... It definitely looked down leg from the footage Not much you can do about it though, if the technology says it's smashing the leg stump then that's what we have to go with. Could have just been a combination of optical illusions
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Sorry but England did not chase bravely. They played sosme poor shots and deserved to be beaten.
aerial lizard
Roar Rookie
Particularly the blood nutted south seas poms.
aerial lizard
Roar Rookie
I reckon anyone who has played a fair bit of cricket can see some 3rd ump LBW decisions are decidedly contentious. There is more to ball movement than they account for, particularly a ball spinning about the vertical axis.
Linphoma
Roar Rookie
England were bailed out at one stage by an umpire's call in their favour when the ball was hitting. The umpire's call was over the ball had struck in line or outside off. India remonstrated with the umpire after the DRS decision and you could see he was having some difficulty explaining. So is Sharma going to be disappointed that technology has let them down on that occasion? England chased bravely and they went down. No disgrace, bad luck, pick yourself up and start preparing for the next epic!
Tony
Roar Guru
Bloody Pommies - always whingeing.
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
So no excuses then?