England captain Ben Stokes downplays injury concerns ahead of Oval showdown

The England captain was the standout performer in the drawn fourth Test at Old Trafford, scoring a century and taking five wickets - a feat achieved by just three other England players in Test history: Tony Greig, Ian Botham and Gus Atkinson.

The 34-year-old also became only the third cricketer ever to score over 7,000 Test runs and take 200 wickets, joining the elite company of Garry Sobers and Jacques Kallis.

But the record-breaking performance came at a physical cost. Stokes battled cramp, general soreness, and revealed a developing bicep issue during the final day in Manchester - the latest in a series marked by a relentless workload. Having already bowled 140 overs - the most he has delivered in any Test series - Stokes admitted he's feeling the strain.

"Hopefully I'll be alright going for the last one," Stokes said post-match. "It's just a workload thing. We got through a fair number of overs, and everything starts creeping up on you. But I'll keep trying, keep going - as I say to all the bowlers: pain is just an emotion."

Despite the physical toll, Stokes dismissed any suggestion that he might miss the fifth Test.

"I've physically been better," he admitted, "but I'll always try to run through a brick wall for the team. The likelihood I won't play is very unlikely."

England appeared on track for victory after reducing India to 0-2 in their second innings, still 311 runs behind. But a superb 188-run stand between KL Rahul and captain Shubman Gill halted their momentum. Stokes eventually removed Rahul for 90, and Jofra Archer dismissed Gill for 103 just before lunch, raising hopes once again.

However, a dropped chance by Joe Root off the very next delivery proved costly, as Ravindra Jadeja (104 not out) and Washington Sundar (101 not out) batted through the final session to deny England a win.

"When the reality sets in, there's obviously going to be that comedown," Stokes reflected. "There's that sense of disappointment and almost heartbreak - I felt it as captain too."

With the series at 2–1, England will be aiming to seal a home series win at The Oval. And if Stokes has any say in it, he'll be front and centre once again - leading from the front, injury or not.