England vs West Indies 2020: Ben Stokes admits going through sleepless nights before Day 5
England all-rounder Ben Stokes has admitted that he now understands why Joe Root undergoes sleepless nights during an on-going Test match.
Joe Root, England's permanent captain in the format, was away on a paternity leave for the birth of his second child, meaning that Ben Stokes was given the responsibility of leading the Three Lions.
I can see why Joe loses a lot of sleep: Ben Stokes
“Last night was the only night that I really struggled to sleep because there was a lot to think about: how the game is going to end up, what’s going to happen. I can see why Joe loses a lot of sleep because he’s got to do that every game,” Ben Stokes opened up.
Speaking about Stuard Board's exclusion from the playing XI, Ben Stokes remained adamant and stood by his decision, stating that he felt pace was the way to go in Southampton.
“I stand by my decision. If I didn’t, what kind of message does it give to the guys we picked? I thought Stuart’s interview was absolutely brilliant. To see the emotion and desire he still has burning inside him is great to see as a senior player. And it shows he’s nowhere near done,” Ben Stokes elaborated.
The star all-rounder also spoke about his decision of batting first in gloomy conditions after winning the toss. England were bundled out for 204 in the first innings and were behind the eight-ball thereafter.
Ben Stokes, however, said that the English batsmen weren't ruthless enough were unable to adhere to the basic traits of Test cricket - batting for long periods and making their starts count.
“I stand by the decision we made to bat first. We weren’t ruthless enough. A basic of Test match cricket is getting big first-innings runs. The positive from it is we’ve got a young lad in Zak Crawley who and showed the potential of someone who can be around for a long time,” Ben Stokes elaborated.
West Indies have drawn first-blood in the three-Test series and the two teams now head to Old Trafford, with the next encounter slated to begin on the 16th of July.