Zak Crawley hailed Ben Stokes’s “phenomenal” resurgence with the ball as the England captain took his first Test five-wicket haul in eight years, driving the hosts into control of the fourth Test in Manchester.
Stokes finished with figures of five for 72 before Crawley struck 84 as England closed the second day on 225 for two, trailing India’s first-innings total by 133 runs. The former has recovered from a hamstring tear, sustained against New Zealand late last year, to become his side’s leading bowler this summer. He sits at the top of the series’ wicket-taking charts with 16 at an average of 24.75.
Asked if he saw similarities with Stokes now and the bowler from a few years ago, when South Africa were ripped apart at Newlands in 2020 with three late match-winning wickets, Crawley replied: “There are so many similarities to that pace-wise.”.
“He was bowling quickly back then and he’s got that pace back now. And the way he gets that away movement from the right-handers, that zip, which is as much as anyone in the world. He gets that bounce and he’s a proper wicket-taker, and he can make things happen. That was certainly the case when I first came into the side back then, and he seems to have got that back now, which is a phenomenal effort considering the injuries he’s had. And, well, he’s a little bit older now, so a phenomenal effort.”
Crawley’s opening stand of 166 with Ben Duckett on Thursday came after the pair had been involved in a tetchy exchange with the Indian fielders on the third evening at Lord’s, taking their time as Crawley faced one over before the close. India’s captain, Shubman Gill, questioned whether England’s behaviour had been “in the spirit of the game”.
“I sit in my spot until the umpires go out, and I saw the umpires go out and I walked out. I wasn’t aware that we were 90 seconds late, but fair enough,” said Crawley.
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“I’ve always enjoyed that part of cricket, to be honest, especially when you’re batting, and it’s two of you against 11 and they’re desperate to get you out and they’re chirping you. Most of the time I’d probably let it slide and then other times I feel like it’s a good chance to put it back on them. And Lord’s was, you know – I loved that little eight-minute passage. No one stepped over the line. I thought everyone was in good spirits. It was just competitive cricket.”
