Ben Stokes called 'crybaby' after bizarre loss excuse, told to admit failure: ‘Blames pitches even in beloved fortress'

Hindustan Times

21 hours ago

England skipper Ben Stokes made a bold comment on the Edgbaston pitch after a thrashing against India, throwing away the lead they had gained after winning the first Test. It was a dismal show from England at home, as they were outplayed by India throughout five days and were no match for them with both bat and ball at Edgbaston. They ended up losing the match by a mammoth 336 runs. Cricket - Second Test - England v India - Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham, Britain - July 6, 2025 England's Ben Stokes looks dejected after the match Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs(Action Images via Reuters)
India asserted complete control over the contest with dominant performances in both batting and bowling departments, leaving England playing catch-up right from the start. The visitors were outclassed across all sessions and never truly managed to mount a challenge, trailing behind throughout the match and failing to match India's intensity and execution.
After the defeat, Stokes said that as the match progressed, the pitch became a subcontinental surface, and the Indian bowlers were well-equipped to expose it.
'To be honest, it's probably ended up being more of a subcontinent pitch as it's got deeper and deeper into the game. You know, there certainly a little bit in it to start off with, and I think we exposed that very, very well early on,' Stokes told BBC Test Match Special.
'But yeah, then just as it sort of got deeper and deeper, it just, yeah, it became a real tough slog for us and obviously, with the Indian attack and the conditions that they' used to, they were used to and used some of how to expose those conditions, just sort of a little bit better than that can happen sometimes,' he added.
However, the English skipper's comment didn't go well with the fans. He was thrashed on X, and some even called him a crybaby for not admitting his team's underperformance and calling it a subcontinent pitch.
Akash Deep, Siraj expose ENG on flat track
Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj rose to the occasion at Edgbaston, producing standout performances that proved instrumental in securing India's first-ever Test win at the historic ground. With pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah rested, the duo shouldered the responsibility admirably—rattling the English batting order with relentless intensity and precision.
Akash was the standout bowler for India in the Test match, especially in the second innings, where he claimed a magnificent six-wicket haul (6/99). This included crucial wickets on Day 5, such as Joe Root and the lone fighter Jamie Smith. His overall match figures of 10 wickets for 187 runs are now the best bowling figures by an Indian in a Test in England. Meanwhile, Siraj, leading the pace attack in Bumrah's absence, delivered a stellar six-wicket haul (6/70) in England's first innings, which broke their back.
Jamie Smith stood out once again for England, backing up his unbeaten 184 in the first innings with a resilient 88 in the second. He was the only English batter to cross the fifty mark in their second outing, fighting a lone battle as wickets kept tumbling at the other end.
Meanwhile, Stokes said that he was not too disheartened about the result and didn't mind getting outskilled by a team.
But it's nothing to be too disheartened about. We can take being outskilled, and we've certainly been outskilled this week.