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Irritated Stokes seems slightly less sure of himself on return to England captaincy
England’s main man did not look his ebullient, confident, tricksy self on a thankless day for bowlers
TL;DR
- England is fighting to avoid defeat in a critical Test match, potentially their first home series loss since 2012.
- Captain Ben Stokes appeared less confident and decisive than usual, making uncharacteristic mistakes.
- The team missed crucial opportunities to take wickets on a challenging pitch and hot conditions.
- Despite the struggles, Stokes eventually took wickets, indicating that England is still in contention.
- The performance raises questions about the future of the Test team under Stokes's leadership.