Headline: Stokes' Fitness a Worry for England as Series-Clinching Push Looms at Old Trafford

England's hopes of securing a series-clinching victory in the Manchester Test hinge on the fitness of their captain, Ben Stokes. The all-rounder battled cramps throughout the fourth day, casting doubt on his bowling availability for the crucial final day at Old Trafford.

Ben Stokes struggles with cramps during the Manchester Test © Getty

After a magnificent century on the fourth morning, which followed his impressive first-innings five-wicket haul, Stokes was unable to contribute with the ball during India's second innings, where KL Rahul and Shubman Gill forged a formidable 174-run partnership, extending the match into a fifth day.

"He's a bit stiff and sore," England's assistant coach Marcus Trescothick acknowledged when questioned about Stokes' chances of bowling. "He's had quite a big workload in the last few weeks, and then batting in the first innings, he was getting quite a bit of cramp. We are hoping that with another night's rest and a bit more physio work overnight, he'll be back and doing a bit tomorrow."

England, who have largely dominated the Test, saw their attack lose some potency in the absence of Stokes, the series' leading wicket-taker. He initially felt the cramps while batting on the third evening, leading to his temporary retirement on 66. He later returned to complete a brilliant 141, marking his first Test century in two years. This feat also saw him join the ranks of Gary Sobers and Jacques Kallis, achieving the milestone of 7,000 runs and 200 wickets in Test matches.

Stokes was observed clutching his hamstring during England's second-innings bowling effort. While Trescothick downplayed concerns of a serious injury, the incident highlights the physical toll on the England captain. Having carefully managed his bowling in the first two Tests, Stokes bowled demanding spells of nine and ten overs on the final day at Lord's. Including the 24 overs bowled in Manchester's first innings, his series workload amounts to 129 overs.

Trescothick elaborated, "It's just a build-up. It's such a heavy workload, from where he's been to what he's doing. It's just trying to monitor it, and obviously the cramp that he was getting yesterday, you have that little bit of worry... We'll see what he's like tomorrow."

The former England opener conceded that Stokes' absence from the bowling attack would be a significant setback, emphasizing his influential role. However, he expressed faith in the remaining players to rise to the occasion. "Well, of course, you know, you take anybody out of a four-man attack or five-man attack, it creates a hole. And when you're trying to push for victory on a pitch that is, you know, quite tricky and gets quite slow after the ball gets older. You know, let's not forget, he got five wickets in the first innings as well."

He added, "So, of course, it's challenging. And it's never great when, you know, bowlers go down or, you know, you don't have someone available to do the work you need to do. It's then just up to everybody else to sort of pick up pieces and do the extra workload. You'll probably see Joe Root bowl a little bit more if he's not available. But let's just wait and see. Hopefully, fingers crossed, it'll be all OK by tomorrow."

Trescothick hinted that limiting Stokes' bowling on the fourth day might have been a strategic decision to conserve him for a final push. He also acknowledged the complexities of managing a player like Stokes, given his unwavering commitment to contributing across all aspects of the game.

"He loves bowling, he loves batting, he loves diving around in the field, sprinting and doing everything he can do. He is that person who just wants to be involved in the game all the time."

"And of course, as anybody progresses in their career, they pick up little niggles or injuries that may be a little bit more prone as you go along. So, you have to manage everybody as they get a little bit longer in the tooth. And him, no different because of his impact obviously being captain of the team, you want him playing as many games as possible."

"So, of course, if we can somehow find a way to limit the amount of overs he bowls in particular, then, of course, we have done. And maybe we've seen it at different stages throughout this series already where he hasn't necessarily bowled those mammoth spells like he did in previous times. I know at Lord's he did over the course of in-between days and either side of tea or whatever it may be."

"But if you find a way, if we can find a way, then, of course, it will benefit. The more games he can string together as a captain and as a leader in the group and the all-rounder he is, the better that's going to be for the team, of course."