India pulled off a stunning win at The Oval to level the five-match Test series 2-2, marking a dramatic end to a closely fought contest. The victory was not only crucial but also came in one of the most intense matches of the series.

England skipper Ben Stokes spoke about the heated moments between players during the series. He acknowledged that in high-stakes encounters like this, emotions tend to run high and confrontations are part of the game.

However, Stokes also pointed out that while tempers may flare in the heat of the moment, such things are often forgotten soon after. He emphasised that what truly matters is the quality of cricket played and the competitiveness shown by both sides.

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Ben Stokes About Both Team’s Intense Moments During the Series:

With all five matches in the series stretching to the final day, emotions naturally flared between the two sides. Players exchanged heated words, and tensions escalated, especially during the Lord's Test. The most intense moment came when Shubman Gill was seen shouting angrily at Zak Crawley, accusing him of deliberately wasting time as India aimed to squeeze in an extra over.

Speaking during the post-match presentation, Ben Stokes addressed the fiery exchanges, as reported by ESPN Cricinfo. He acknowledged that such moments are bound to happen in hard-fought series, noting that passion often brings out confrontations. However, he downplayed the incidents, saying they are usually forgotten once the match is over.

Stokes said, “The whole series has been awesome. There's always going to be moments where emotions are coming out. No one will be going to bed crying about what was said.”

Stokes expressed pride in his team despite the narrow six-run loss to India. He mentioned that the goal from the leadership group was simply for the players to give their best effort, which they did throughout the closely contested match.

He further said, “ Difficult when you can't participate. Another hard-fought game. Both teams have put so much effort, amazing to be a part of. Bitterly disappointed we couldn't go over the line but very proud of the team. There were many what-ifs in the last five days, makes the game great, but all Brendon and I asked was to give it everything. Tongue, Atkinson and Overton showed it.”

Stokes couldn’t recover from his right shoulder injury in time to play the final Test at The Oval. However,he made a key impact earlier in the series, particularly at Lord’s, where he delivered a long spell in the fourth innings to help England win by a narrow 22-run margin.