Ben Stokes might miss the second Test match against Sri Lanka
England cricket team all-rounder Ben Stokes is doubtful to start the second Test against Sri Lanka which is scheduled to start on 27 May at Chester-le-Street, Durham. The 24-year-old endured a knee injury while fielding on the second day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Headingley.
Stokes went through a lengthy treatment process immediately after he left the field. Though, he came back to bowl four overs during the evening session but again went off the field on the next day morning and saw the rest of the match from the pavilion.
The New Zealand-born cricket was seen with an ice pack on his left knee on Friday evening after bowling in the day’s last session. It is expected that he will know the full extent of his injury on May 22.
In Stokes’ absence, Jack Ball went to the field as he was England’s 12th man for the first Test but the selectors might consider Warwickshire’s pacer Chris Woakes as a replacement of the all-rounder.
England captain Alastair Cook, who is on the verge of becoming the youngest player to score 10,000 Test runs and the first Englishman to do so, talked about Stokes’ injury. He also confirmed about the Durham-based all-rounder’s availability for the second Test.
He said, "For Ben to be off the field is not a good sign and it doesn't look good for Durham. We don't know 100 percent. Obviously, he has got something in his knee that doesn't feel quite right. It doesn't look good for Durham at this stage but you just never know."
Stokes is among the only three England cricketers to hold a place in the Three Lions team across all formats. The other two players are star batsman Joe Root and all-rounder Moeen Ali.
He also hasn’t missed a single match for the Three Lions since his comeback from the hand injury which he picked up in the Caribbean in 2014. Stokes hurt his hand after his golden duck as he punched the dressing-room locker in frustration and fractured his right hand. He missed the World T20 2014 in Bangladesh due to the injury.
While Woakes is likely to replace Stokes, it is also a window of opportunity for Ball to make his Test debut. Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali might move up the batting order as well due to Stokes’ absence in the second Test.