Ben raring to go again after five gruelling Test days

ENGLAND captain Ben Stokes is ready to go hard at India again at Edgbaston, despite admitting last week’s epic win at Headingley left him “a shadow of my normal self”.

- By RORY DOLLARD

Stokes guided his side to a remarkable fifth-day victory in the first Rothesay Test, a draining encounter that saw the hosts spend more than 200 overs in the field before conjuring a mammoth fourth-innings chase.

The skipper was operating back at full tilt after a long and arduous recovery from a torn hamstring, sending down 35 overs and taking five wickets along the way.

The experience took its toll on the 34-year-old but he expects more of the same when battle resumes in Birmingham today.

“I feel better now than I did Thursday and Friday. It was a big week,” he said.

“I used the three days after that game to offer absolutely nothing to the world. I was a shadow of my normal self. It just goes to show how much five-day Test matches take out of you.

“But I'm all over that how and ready to go (on Wednesday).

“Let's hope we can produce something similar again.