England Captain Ben Stokes Sounds Off On Scheduling Discrepancies In Ongoing Tests Against Team India: 'Gaps Could Have Been Better'

Ben Stokes, the skipper for England Cricket, has expressed his disappointment over the scheduling of the ongoing five-match Test series. The English all-rounder believes the planning for a long series needs to be done carefully, as the current planning has significantly affected both sides in terms of player availability and injury management.

Ben Stokes Highlights Scheduling Issues In Five-Test Series vs Team India

The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series has either had an extended break or barely had any days for the players to rest between two test matches.

The series has taken a significant toll on both teams, with players being ruled out because of injuries. Team India has picked up substantial injury issues, and England also sustained setbacks in terms of player availability.

Ben Stokes was not happy with the way the match dates for the India tour of England were fixed. The England skipper believes the gaps between matches could have been better and admitted that it has been tough for both sides.

"The gaps between games could have been better. There were gaps of 8-9 days between matches and then 3-4 days as well. You could make it a 4-5 day gap between matches, maybe, so there's that consistency.

"It's been tough for both teams — a lot of overs bowled, a lot of time spent on the field. But maybe if you had 4-5 day gaps, you could have had the same amount of time in the series," Ben Stokes said at the press conference, per TOI Sports.

Also Read: India Captain Shubman Gill Breaks Silence On Pitch Controversy At The Oval: 'Don’t Understand What The Fuss Was About'

England Skipper Ben Stokes Ruled Out Of Final Test Due To Injury

Performing consistently for the past five test matches took a toll on Ben Stokes' body. Unfortunately, the English test skipper has been ruled out of the series-decider match at The Oval.

Stokes has suffered a right shoulder injury, and he looked in significant discomfort on the last day of the fourth test at Old Trafford.

Also Read: Will Arshdeep Singh Make His Test Debut At The Oval? Shubman Gill Reveals Pacer Said To 'Be Ready'

In Ben Stokes' absence, vice-captain Ollie Pope would step up as the stand-in skipper for the fifth Test match against the Shubman Gill-led Team India.

The fifth test match between India and England will take place on July 30, 2025, at The Oval in Kennington.