ENG vs IND 2025: Marcus Trescothick reveals why Ben Stokes did not bowl on Day 4 in Manchester | CricTracker

England remain optimistic that captain Ben Stokes will recover from cramps in time to lead the bowling attack on the final day of the Manchester Test. Stokes delivered a stellar performance on Day 4 at Old Trafford, scoring a commanding century and having already taken a five-wicket haul in India’s first innings.

Stokes experienced cramps on Day 3 while batting alongside Joe Root and had to briefly leave the field. However, he returned later in the innings and went on to score a brilliant 141. Despite his efforts with the bat, the right-arm pacer did not bowl during England’s 62 overs in India’s second innings. The assistant coach Marcus Trescothick expressed confidence that Stokes would return to full fitness and contribute with the ball on Day 5 of the fourth Test.

“He’s a bit stiff and sore. He’s had quite a big workload in the last few weeks, and then batting in the first innings, he was getting quite a bit of cramp. We are hoping that with another night’s rest and a bit more physio work overnight, he’ll be back and doing a bit tomorrow,” said Trescothick as quoted by Cricbuzz.

Stokes ended a two-year drought of Test centuries with his commanding knock at Old Trafford and etched his name alongside legends by achieving a rare milestone. He became only the third cricketer in Test history, after Sir Garfield Sobers and Jacques Kallis, to score over 7,000 runs and take 200 wickets.

While concerns arose after Stokes experienced cramps during his innings, Trescothick downplayed any major injury fears. The physical strain reflects the all-rounder’s heavy workload, especially considering the marathon spells he bowled on the final day of the Lord’s Test.

“It’s just a build-up. It’s such a heavy workload, from where he’s been to what he’s doing. It’s just trying to monitor it, and obviously the cramp that he was getting yesterday, you have that little bit of worry… We’ll see what he’s like tomorrow,” said Trescothick.

If not Stokes, others will step up: Trescothick

The former England cricketer acknowledged that if Stokes is unable to bowl on the final day, the rest of the team will step up to deliver. Stokes has already shouldered a significant workload in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, having bowled 129 overs across the four Tests so far.

“Well, of course, you know, you take anybody out of a four-man attack or five-man attack, it creates a hole. And when you’re trying to push for victory on a pitch that is, you know, quite tricky and gets quite slow after the ball gets older. You know, let’s not forget, he got five wickets in the first innings as well,” said Trescothick.

“So, of course, it’s challenging. And it’s never great when bowlers go down or, you don’t have someone available to do the work you need to do. It’s then just up to everybody else to sort of pick up pieces and do the extra workload. You’ll probably see Joe Root bowl a little bit more if he’s not available. But let’s just wait and see. Hopefully, fingers crossed, it’ll be all OK by tomorrow,” he added.

Stokes need to be managed delicately: Trescothick

Trescothick suggested that resting Stokes from bowling on Day 4 may have been a strategic move by England to preserve him for the final day, though he admitted he was not privy to all the details behind the decision. Notably, Stokes remained on the field throughout, likely to avoid the delay that would have come with waiting to bowl had he spent time off the field. Trescothick also admitted that managing a player like Stokes requires a delicate balance, given his relentless drive to contribute in every facet of the game, whether with the bat, ball, or in the field.

“He loves bowling, he loves batting, he loves diving around in the field, sprinting and doing everything he can do. He is that person who just wants to be involved in the game all the time. And of course, as anybody progresses in their career, they pick up little niggles or injuries that may be a little bit more prone as you go along. So, you have to manage everybody as they get a little bit longer in the tooth. And him, no different because of his impact obviously being captain of the team, you want him playing as many games as possible,” said Trescothick.

“So, of course, if we can somehow find a way to limit the amount of overs he bowls in particular, then, of course, we have done. And maybe we’ve seen it at different stages throughout this series already where he hasn’t necessarily bowled those mammoth spells like he did in previous times. I know at Lord’s he did over the course of in-between days and either side of tea or whatever it may be. But if you find a way, if we can find a way, then, of course, it will benefit. The more games he can string together as a captain and as a leader in the group and the all-rounder he is, the better that’s going to be for the team, of course,” he concluded.