BAT AND BAWL

Marcus worried over injured Ben

- ■by SIMON MULLOCK

MARCUS TRESCOTHICK admitted that England are sweating on the fitness of captain Ben Stokes.

Stokes smashed a brilliant 141 as his team posted a mammoth first-innings total of 669 to leave India staring down the barrel of a huge fourth Test defeat at Old Trafford.

England's 669 all out was their fifth-highest total in Test history.

But Stokes was simply powerless as the tourists fought back in the afternoon after being unable to bowl due to a hamstring issue.

And assistant coach Trescothick revealed that the all-rounder's chances of returning to the attack on the last day hinge on how he responds to rest and treatment.

Trescothick said: "We're hoping Ben will bowl. He's a bit stiff and sore.

"He's had quite a big workload in the last few weeks and obviously he was getting cramp when he batted

"We're hoping that with another night's rest and a bit more physio work overnight that he'll be back doing a bit.

"It's been such a heavy workload from where he's been to what he's now doing and are trying to monitor it.

"But obviously the cramp he was getting yesterday gives you that little bit of worry because of what's happened to him previously."

Chris Woakes took two wickets in two deliveries in the first over of India's second innings.

But England were then frustrated by a brilliant unbeaten third-wicket partnership of 174 between skipper Shubman Gill and KL Rahul.

India still need another 137 runs to make England bat again.