New Zealand claimed a consolation 423-run victory in the third and final Test as injured England captain Ben Stokes watched on.
England captain Ben Stokes does not think the heavier bowling workload he undertook in the third Test against New Zealand contributed to his hamstring injury during the 423-run defeat.
This left-arm seamer, 33, who missed four Tests after tearing the same muscle during The Hundred in August, played no further part in the match after he suffered the injury on Monday.
Every time you walk out onto a field as an athlete, you’re putting yourself at risk of getting injured,” Stokes said in Hamilton after England’s loss on Tuesday. “I worked my a** off to get to where I was in this game, particularly with my body. It’s just Sod’s law that for the first time in a while, I feel like I’m young again; something happens.
Stokes bowled 24 overs in New Zealand’s first innings and was two balls into his 13th over of the second when he suffered the injury – a much heavier workload than in the first two Tests, which England won.
The all-rounder said he had been extremely emotional after being forced to leave the field and questioned whether there was anything he could have done differently to avoid the injury.
When you sleep in it and remove the emotion from it, you realize that when you’re walking out there, you’re always putting yourself at risk,” he added.
