"No give in that knee" - Steven Finn sees encouraging signs for Ben Stokes after Day 2 of 5th IND vs ENG Test

Former England seamer Steven Finn believes Ben Stokes' knee surgery hasn't affected his bowling negatively. The Middlesex cricketer reckons Stokes' return to bowling bodes extremely well for England's future.

Stokes returned to bowling in Tests for the first time since June 2023 on Day 2 of the fifth Test against India in Dharamsala and struck with his first ball, castling Rohit Sharma for 103. He finished with figures of 5-1-17-1 and kept threatening the batters consistently.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Finn stated that he thought Stokes will struggle but saw encouraging signs from the all-rounder. He elaborated:

"Ben has the ability to get extra bits of bite off the surface and the first ball he bowled had that bite. Sometimes your knee can collapse and you bowl through the crease but there was no give in that knee whatsoever, which was a great sign for me - not just for today but for Ben and England fans in the future because he is such a huge component of this team. You worry if someone will be the same bowler again after knee surgery but the evidence looks like he can be."

The 32-year-old underwent a knee surgery before the India tour but seems to have recovered completely.

"I have had three knee surgeries" - Steven Finn

Finn added that he experienced difficulty while bowling after having surgeries during his playing days, adding:

"I have had three knee surgeries and I found it really hard after my first one to come back and be exactly the same bowler. You lose that bit of bite and zip, you lose the power to fully brace your front leg and create that whip in your shoulders that gives you the zip that sets you apart from people playing domestic cricket."

Despite Stokes' and other bowlers' efforts, England remained on the backfoot by Stumps on Day 2 in Dharamsala.