England all-rounder Ben Stokes was not too concerned with the injury scare he suffered during the first Ashes Test match at Gabba against Australia saying that it’s an old injury and he knew how to manage it, suggesting that he will be fit for the Day-night Test in Adelaide starting December 16.
Stokes hobbled off the field on Day 2 of the Gabba match while fielding after he sustained an injury to his knee. However, the all-rounder later returned to bowl and batted in the second innings as well.
“People will have seen me rubbing my knee from time to time when I was in the field, but rest assured I’m fine. It is an old injury that flares up every now and again, but I know how to manage it,” Stokes wrote in a column for The Mirror.
“It just gets a little bit uncomfortable every now and again in and around my cartilage, but it just looks worse than it is by the way I try and get off it as soon as I can.”
“Having a long break is going to show itself I guess, but there are no excuses from me,” Stokes further said.
Many cricketers and experts suggested Stokes looked a bit rusty in the first match as he was playing his first competitive game since July after having taken a break to prioritise his mental well-being and recover fully from his finger injury, which he sustained during the first half of the IPL 2021.
Apart from bowling those 14 no-balls, which also included the wicket of David Warner, the 30-year old had a poor outing with the bat as well returning with scores of 5 and 14 in the two innings as Australia thrashed England by 9 wickets. However, the all-rounder said that he was feeling good while batting until he got out
“With the bat I actually felt good, until I got out in both innings. That’s all it takes. One ball and your day is ruined just like that,” he further wrote.