England concerned as Stokes battles groin discomfort on day 1 at Lord’s

England captain Ben Stokes gave his team a scare on the opening day of the third Test against India at Lord’s after appearing to suffer a groin injury while batting.

Stokes, who ended the day unbeaten on 39 from 102 balls, looked in visible discomfort after playing a delivery from Nitish Kumar Reddy outside the off-stump while on 32. He immediately grimaced in pain and held his right groin, prompting physio assistance on the field.

Although he chose to continue batting, Stokes was clearly struggling — limping between runs and frequently stretching at the non-striker’s end to stay mobile.

England finished Day 1 on 251 for 4, with Joe Root unbeaten on 99 after a composed innings on a slow pitch. Earlier, Ollie Pope contributed 44 off 104 balls before falling to Ravindra Jadeja right after tea.

The concern around Stokes grew further with the arrival of the second new ball, as Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep increased the pressure with swing and seam movement. Root, who tried to reach his century with a flick through backward point on 98, had to settle for a single as Jadeja made a sharp stop and jokingly signaled for a second — which Root declined, aware of Stokes' limited mobility.

Ollie Pope later shared his hopes for Stokes' recovery and stressed the importance of managing the situation carefully.

"Fingers crossed he can do something magic and come back strong," Pope said.

"I've not seen him since, so fingers crossed there's nothing too serious. But clearly we've got a big Test over the next four days and we've got a big two [at Old Trafford and The Oval] coming up as well, so it is important to try and manage him," he added. 

As the team’s vice-captain, Pope said he would help ensure Stokes doesn’t push himself too hard.

"We'll see how he pulls up tomorrow, but for me, that is partially one of my roles, to make sure that he doesn't push himself to a ridiculous place with whatever he's dealing with at the moment," Pope said. 

"I'm sure the physios, the medics will work with him to lay out a plan and then I'll help push him in the right direction," he concluded. 

Stokes has been central to England’s campaign in the series, especially with his efforts in the first Test at Headingley, where he returned to bowling after two hamstring surgeries in just six months. At Edgbaston, he delivered 19 overs in the first innings and seven in the second, maintaining an economy of 3.71. Despite his efforts, India won the second Test by 336 runs, leveling the five-match series 1-1.

Having undergone knee surgery in late 2023, Stokes has worked hard to return to full fitness and resume his all-round duties. His commitment to playing through pain is well known, but with the series finely balanced, England’s management may have a tough decision to make regarding his involvement on Day 2.