"Far better if Ben Stokes had participated in the World Cup as a commentator" - Twitter slams England all-rounder for 10-ball duck against India
England all-rounder Ben Stokes was dismissed for a 10-ball duck in the must-win encounter against India in Lucknow on Sunday, October 29.
Chasing 230 for victory, England were rattled early with the wickets on Dawid Malan and Joe Root to find themselves 30/2 in five overs. Renowned for his ability to absorb pressure and deliver in crunch situations, the defending champions looked toward Stokes to bail them out once again.
However, the 32-year-old flattered to deceive as he looked clueless against ace pacer Mohammed Shami for an entire over before playing an unbelievably rash shot off the final delivery. In an attempt to get off the mark and transfer the pressure back onto the bowler, Ben Stokes made room and exposed all three stumps, only to be cleaned up by a fast and full delivery by Shami.
The dismissal left England in a terrible mess at 33/3 in 18 overs, with both their star batters Joe Root and Ben Stokes being sent back for a duck.
England's talismanic all-rounder has been in dismal form since returning to the side in the World Cup, with 48 runs in three games at an average of 16. All the talk pre-tournament was about Stokes reversing his retirement decision to play for England in the World Cup. However, the decision has backfired miserably with Stokes' inability to bowl and dismal returns with the bat.
With England on the verge of being eliminated from semi-final contention, fans blasted the 2019 World Cup hero for his rash shot and terrible showing at the most inopportune moment.
Here are some of the best reactions:
England find themselves in dire straits in their run chase
Team India appear to be on course for their sixth consecutive victory to open the 2023 World Cup, thanks to a sensational bowling performance.
Despite posting only 229 in their first instance of batting first, the Indian pacers were on the money, led by the ever-reliable Jasprit Bumrah. The English openers were off to a decent start at 30/0 before the champion pacer struck twice in two balls. Shami joined the party by removing Stokes and Bairstow to leave England in tatters at 39/4 in the 10th over.
Finally, skipper Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali looked to be settling in when left-arm chinaman spinner Kuldeep Yadav produced a beauty to dislodge the former.
Shami returned for his second spell and immediately removed Moeen Ali to put a further dent in the English batting lineup.
With England's slim World Cup hopes hanging by a thread, they will need a miracle to dig themselves out of this hole at 81/6 in the 24th over.