Ben Stokes, the England captain, rejected claims of his team lacking ruthlessness in their approach against India as they succumbed to their first Test series defeat in the 'Bazball' era. India secured a five-wicket victory in the fourth Test in Ranchi, clinching an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series. This is England's first Test series loss under the leadership of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.  

Also Read: Sachin Tendulkar reminisces his street to stadium journey, recognizes the gifts cricket gave him

Ben Stokes gets annoyed at the post-match press conference

The defeat signaled a significant setback for England's previously lauded ultra-aggressive 'Bazball' strategy, which had been hailed as their winning formula since 2022 but is now under scrutiny for its perceived inflexibility and lack of depth, especially in Indian conditions.

When questioned about England's supposed lack of ruthlessness, Ben Stokes Stokes responded by questioning the very notion of it. "Ruthlessness? What does it mean? How does it manifest itself?" he queried.

Stokes highlighted the subjective nature of the perception of ruthlessness, suggesting that it is often misunderstood. 

"Everyone goes into the game with their best intentions; when it doesn't pay off, people say we're not ruthless, when it does, they say we are," Stokes said.

Ben Stokes emphasised that the perception of ruthlessness can be subjective and often misunderstood. "I don't really understand it. That's from my point of view; we try to do what we think is the best way to win a game. It can be a throwaway comment when people say we're not ruthless enough. What does it mean?" he questioned. 

Also Read: 'Rohit wasn’t going to MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN': Hussain highlights how India recovered in 4th Test

Since assuming the captaincy from Joe Root, Ben Stokes pointed out that England's 'Bazball' approach has yielded victories against New Zealand, South Africa, and Pakistan. Additionally, in last year's Ashes series, England staged a comeback to draw the series 2-2.