The cloud of tension thickened in the England dressing room on the opening day of the third Test at Lord’s after captain Ben Stokes suffered a reported groin injury. The incident happened late in the evening session as Stokes, batting on 39 not out, let a delivery from India’s Nitish Kumar Reddy go past outside the off stump. Immediately, he breathed in pain, clutched his right groin, and instantly called for the physio.
After receiving treatment on the field, Stokes decided to continue his innings, but he was visibly staggering and struggled to run between the wickets alongside Joe Root. Despite the discomfort, he remained unbeaten at stumps, showing determination to support his team in a crucial match.
Earlier in the day, England had won the toss and chose to bat first. They built a solid platform as Joe Root played with great composure and focus, ending the day on 99 not out—just one run short of another Test century and 8th at Lord’s. Ollie Pope also made an important contribution with a calm 44, helping England get a competitive edge.
Vice-captain Ollie Pope spoke to reporters after play and expressed cautious optimism that Stokes’ injury was not too serious. He said it was vital to manage Stokes carefully because of his long history of injuries, including knee surgery in 2023 and two hamstring tears in the past eight months.
“Fingers crossed it’s nothing too serious and he can do something magic and come back strong,” Pope said. “We have a big Test over the next four days and more important matches after that. It’s important to protect him from pushing too hard.”
Stokes’ recent return to bowling all-rounder duties has been a major boost for England’s team balance, especially after he took five wickets in the previous Test at Leeds. But this setback will test the squad’s depth again, particularly with the Ashes tour to Australia later this year on the horizon.
India also faced an injury concern when wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant injured his finger while chasing a delivery from Jasprit Bumrah. He left the field and was replaced by Dhruv Jurel behind the stumps. Updates on Pant’s fitness are expected before play resumes on Friday.
In an unusual and unexpected moment, play was briefly interrupted when a swarm of ladybirds descended onto the field, adding another twist to an already eventful first day.
England will hope their captain can recover overnight to resume his innings and possibly bowl later in the match. The team is targeting a first-innings total of 400 or more to put pressure on India.
Day 1 Score at Stumps:
England 251 for 4
Joe Root – 99*
Ben Stokes – 39*
