December 16th 2024.
As the final Test between England and New Zealand progressed, things took a turn for the worse when captain Ben Stokes was forced to leave the field due to a hamstring injury. The incident occurred during his 13th over of the second innings, and third of the day, when he suddenly pulled up after bowling a bouncer. Stokes immediately grabbed his left hamstring and made his way to the dressing rooms, clearly in discomfort. He did not return for the rest of the third day in Wellington.
It was not the first time Stokes had suffered an injury to his left hamstring. Back in August, while playing for the Hundred, he had sustained a similar injury and was unable to play for the rest of England's summer. Now, he will undergo further assessment to determine the extent of the injury and whether he will be able to contribute with the bat in England's fourth innings.
But with or without their skipper, England face a daunting task to avoid defeat in the final match of the series, where they currently lead 2-0. After New Zealand's impressive third-innings total of 453, thanks to a century from Kane Williamson, England were left to chase a record-breaking 640 runs. Their first innings total of 143 had already put them at a disadvantage.
Stokes' departure from the field was just another blow for England, as opener Zak Crawley, who has had a tough series, was dismissed early once again, this time by Matt Henry for just 5 runs. And towards the end of the day, Tim Southee bowled Ben Duckett for a measly 4 runs.
This latest injury comes at the end of a series where Stokes had finally been able to play a full role with the ball, following knee surgery to fix a long-standing issue. In the three matches, he has taken seven wickets in 66 overs. While he may have to sit out for the rest of the series, Stokes can find some solace in the fact that England will not play another Test match until May next year. He had also pulled out of the upcoming Indian Premier League in order to rest and manage his body.
However, there is a chance that Stokes may not be able to participate in the Champions Trophy in February. Although he had retired from playing one-day cricket for England, he had considered reversing that decision after Brendon McCullum was appointed as the captain of England's white-ball team. But now, it remains to be seen whether his injury will affect those plans.
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