ENG vs IND 2025: 'England would have won Oval Test had Ben Stokes been there' - Michael Vaughan
"He plays such a big role in this team, the mentality. You go through this morning and England did panic," Michael Vaughan said.
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Michael Vaughan believes that England would have emerged victorious in the fifth and final Test match at The Oval against India had Ben Stokes not missed it due to an injury. The England captain was ruled out of the fifth Test due to a right shoulder injury, and Ollie Pope stepped in as the stand-in skipper.
The Three Lions needed just 35 runs to win the encounter on its final day with four wickets in hand. However, a lion-hearted display from the Indian pacers, led by Mohammed Siraj, helped the tourists win by six runs to level the series 2-2. Siraj finished with figures of 5/104 in the fourth innings and was awarded Player of the Match.
Vaughan noted that England panicked on the final morning of the Test series and couldn't get that one partnership they needed. The former England skipper said that Pope's men panicked and couldn't play the aggressive brand of cricket that they are renowned for.
“This morning, Ben Stokes in that team, England would’ve won this Test match. He plays such a big role in this team, the mentality. You go through this morning and England did panic. They just needed one partnership. They panicked in the way that they can with the way that they play, they play with a huge amount of aggressiveness,” Vaughan said while speaking on BBC’s Test Match Special.
Stokes did a lot of bowling during the first four Test matches. He bowled 140 overs in four matches and picked up 17 wickets at an average of 25.24. The 34-year-old was also seen bowling long spells. With the bat, Stokes scored 304 runs from seven innings at an average of 43.43.
Jadeja mocks English crowd during Oval victory lap
The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy was shared as the series ended in a 2-2 draw. However, fans will remember the quality of cricket and the competitiveness for a very long time. All five Test matches went into the final day, showing how closely contested the series was.
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