Despite being a renowned all-rounder and ranked fifth in the ICC Test Rankings, Stokes became the first captain to win a Test match without contributing with the bat, ball or as a wicketkeeper.
Unfortunately, he had to contend with a persistent left knee problem, which prevented him from bowling in the match, and he did not get the opportunity to bat as England’s top order performed admirably, losing only four wickets across both innings.
After plying his trade for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, Stokes joined the England camp carrying some fitness issues. He missed the major part of the IPL due to a toe injury and returned home after the MS Dhoni-led side played their last league stage game.
Looking ahead to the upcoming Ashes series, Stokes clarified that his cautious approach against Ireland was due to taking necessary precautions, and he would have bowled if the situation demanded it. However, following the conclusion of the match, Stokes revealed that he experienced discomfort in his left knee after landing awkwardly while taking a catch to dismiss Curtis Campher in Ireland’s second innings on Day 3. As a result, Stokes was visibly struggling with his movement for the remainder of the match on that day.
“I didn’t quite see it so had to adjust myself and landed on my left leg and it twisted in a really strange way. It was fine, I just don’t know what really happened. It was one of those things – but I am 32 tomorrow so that probably explains it,” Stokes said in the post-match presentation.
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