'Couldn't be more proud': Ben Stokes puts on brave face after England lose Test series to India

England captain Ben Stokes put on a brave face despite his team losing the series to India on Monday after succumbing to a five-wicket defeat at Ranchi. Victory at MS Dhoni’s home ground gave India an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series with just one more match to go. England were in a strong position at the start of the match after securing a 46-run first innings lead. They, however, lost the initiative to India midway through the match as the hosts scripted a thrilling comeback to win the match on Day 4 of the match.

Despite the defeat in Ranchi, Stokes said that he “couldn’t be more proud” of his team who “gave their all”.

“It was a great Test match, the scoreboard doesn’t give enough credit to the game as a whole, the ebbs and flows. So much credit to our spinners, being exposed to a situation like that at the start of their careers. I couldn’t be more proud. That’s the way I am as a person, allowing these guys to come into an intimidating situation and treat every ball as an occasion. It’s brought out a lot of talent not just for us but for India,” Stokes said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

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“Root, incredible knock, the criticism wasn’t very fair, class is permanent etc. And Bashir, what a journey, very proud of him. You come into series and you want to win, but my message has been consistent. It’s about the input, we don’t worry about output. Everyone gave their all.”

The biggest positives for England in the Ranchi Test were struggling Root’s return to form as he slammed 122 not out on a slow tricky pitch where the ball stayed low and 20-year-old off-spinner Shoaib Bashir picking eight wickets in the match including a five-wicket haul in only his second Test.