2 hours ago Stokes' lack arsenic a person and all-rounder person been noticeable arsenic England caput for their 3rd successive decision successful Tests astatine The Oval.
Chasing a fanciful and satellite grounds people of 463, the location broadside closed Saturday connected 182-5 and astir apt would person been beaten wrong 4 days had it not been for stand-in skipper Joe Root's unbeaten 75.
Without Stokes to equilibrium the team, England person been forced to prime Jordan Cox arsenic a specializer batter astatine fig 7 and omitted spinner Shoaib Bashir.
After Ollie Robinson missed the lucifer with an wounded and Jamie Smith besides sat retired connected paternity leave, Root was near to pb an England squad including 3 debutants and its fewest combined caps successful 17 years.
"Yeah, we've missed him," said Tongue of Stokes. "Obviously we've got a batch of leaders successful our squad arsenic well.
"Rooty stepping successful arsenic skipper is an unbelievable subordinate and an unbelievable person arsenic well. It's been good."
Stokes and Atkinson broke England's midnight curfew celebrating the triumph implicit New Zealand successful the archetypal Test astatine Lord's.
The brace were contiguous erstwhile a subordinate of information unit was struck by a Saracens rugby player.
Both Stokes and Atkinson person been spoken to arsenic portion of the investigations and could beryllium disposable for the 3rd Test astatine Trent Bridge, starting connected Thursday, with Stokes successful enactment to instrumentality arsenic captain.
English (US)·