India-England Test Series Ends in Draw, Former Captain Critiques Stokes

The final Test at The Oval saw India securing a six-run victory against England, thereby drawing the five-match series 2-2. Following the match, former Australian captain Michael Clarke voiced criticism of England’s captain, Ben Stokes, regarding his leadership throughout the series.

Clarke conveyed on his YouTube channel that settling for a 2-2 result should be viewed as a setback for the English side, particularly considering they were competing on their home turf.

Clarke’s Remarks
  • “As captain, a 2-2 draw at home is disappointing. The expectation should always be to win, especially when playing under familiar conditions,” Clarke stated.

Clarke emphasized that the Indian team surpassed anticipations, especially given the difficulties they faced leading up to the series.

“India’s performance was commendable, considering the circumstances. A series loss for India would have been understandable, given the new captaincy and the absence of key senior players. Additionally, their premier bowler [Jasprit Bumrah] only participated in three of the five matches. Therefore, England likely anticipated a series victory,” he elaborated.

Match Highlights

In the decisive Test at The Oval, India’s narrow victory leveled the series. England, resuming their second innings on the final day at 339/6 and needing 35 more runs to reach the target of 374, faltered under pressure from the Indian bowlers.

Despite promising contributions, the partnership between Joe Root and Harry Brook proved insufficient as the English batting lineup was eventually dismissed for 367. Brook scored a remarkable 111 from 98 deliveries, including 14 fours and two sixes, while Root added 105 with 12 fours.

Opener Ben Duckett also scored 54, but the rest of the batting order struggled, with several players failing to reach double digits. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna were instrumental for India, each capturing four wickets in the second innings.

Earlier in the match, India posted 396 in their second innings, setting a competitive target for England. Yashasvi Jaiswal led the scoring with 118, supported by Akash Deep with 66, and contributions of 53 each from Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. Josh Tongue was the standout bowler for England, claiming five wickets, with Gus Atkinson and Jamie Overton taking three and two wickets, respectively.

In the first innings, India were all out for 224, with Karun Nair contributing the highest score of 57. Atkinson took five wickets for England, with Tongue adding three and Chris Woakes one.

England responded with 247 in their first innings, with Harry Brook making 53. Siraj impressed again for India, securing five wickets, while Krishna took four, playing a crucial role in restricting England’s progress.