In the aftermath of the 4-1 series defeat, England captain Ben Stokes said he was “disappointed” and took solace in the fact that they were “beaten by the better team”.
Stokes acknowledged that India stuck to their guns, just like England did, and that the hosts played superior cricket over the course of a long five-Test series. ””There’s been two styles of play from both teams. One thing India have done is stay true to what makes them successful,” Stokes reflected.
He added that this series defeat shouldn’t take the gloss off what he and Brendon McCullum achieved together in the past and reiterated faith in the methods England have adopted.
True to his spirit, Stokes said that he is already looking forward to the next challenge and wants to apply the learnings from this defeat when the time comes. “Failure is a great teacher to sports teams,” he offered philosophically. At the beginning of the series, Stokes termed India a “beast” at home and it was something he referenced again after his side went down in all four Tests after winning the opener.
💬 "We've been outplayed by the better team."
Ben Stokes speaks to Graeme Swann after the 4-1 series loss to India.#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/D1VvzF1fEI
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) March 9, 2024
