Overview

• Ben Stokes left the field with left-leg cramp on day three of the fourth Test after scoring 66 and later resumed to finish 77 not out overnight.
• Vice-captain Ollie Pope described the cramp as a build-up from Stokes’s heavy workload and said he would be fit to bowl the next day.
• The 34-year-old has bowled a personal Test-match record of 129 overs against India since returning from five months of hamstring surgery rehabilitation.
• England’s management played down fears of lasting issues and confirmed Stokes will continue his all-round role for the remainder of the Test.
• The episode has prompted fresh discussion on balancing elite player contributions with injury prevention under England’s high-intensity Test strategy.