Stokes admits England came up short with bat in series decider

Ben Stokes admitted England fell 100 runs short of expectations on the first day of the series decider against India yesterday following another chastening encounter with spin in Ahmedabad.

The tourists had the chance to banish the memories of their two-day defeat at the same venue last week, winning the toss and finding batting conditions to be less extreme than they had expected.

But although the ball was not fizzing and turning or skidding unpredictably off the pitch, Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel still found a way to run through the order, sharing seven more wickets as England were felled for 205.

India had time to reach 24 for one in reply but Stokes, who top-scored with 55, was honest enough to accept an opportunity had slipped through his side’s fingers.

“We should still be batting,” was his succinct summary.

“I think we’ll look back on that and be disappointed by some of the batting. We’re more than capable of scoring more than 300 on a wicket like that out here, it’s frustrating.

“We sit down as a group and say we’ll try to put it (the previous game) behind us but that’s easier said than done. I know, overall, it’s a much better wicket than the last one we played on so we’re just disappointed not to still be batting.

“I feel very frustrated that I spent two-and-a-half hours trying to avoid getting out to a straight ball then I ended up getting out to a straight ball.”

Stokes also sought to suck any drama out of an early exchange of words with home captain Virat Kohli.

“It’s two professionals showing they care about the sport that they love,” he said.

“A lot gets said these days when two guys seem to come to words out in the middle.

“There was completely nothing untoward, just two blokes who care about what they do and two guys who definitely don’t back down.”

Ben Stokes: out for 55.