Write this team off, write me off at your own peril: Ben Stokes

After the heroics in Hyderabad, where England’s attacking approach yielded them a win for ages, England were expected to do well through the course of the series. That India didn’t have some of their first-choice players available for selection was another factor behind the assertion, but the reality turned out to be far different.

England not only lost the next four Tests, but the manner of defeat cast severe doubt on their approach and if it could sustain for long. Ben Stokes, however, offered a word of caution to all the naysayers, who were writing it off after the humiliating 4-1 series loss to India. 

“Not just myself but the team are big enough to say we've been completely outplayed in the last four games. Failure is a great teacher to sports teams. You either let failure and disappointment eat you up and shoot you down or you learn from failure and you make sure you don't lose the enthusiasm of what you do,” Stokes said in the post-match press conference in Dharamsala.

"This series shouldn't affect anything we've managed to achieve before this tour. It's the first time, particularly these last four games, that this team has been dominated pretty much the whole time.

"We will use this as inspiration to become a better team and to become better players. I am obviously disappointed with my performance, but write this team off, write me off at your own peril. If we we weren't disappointed, if we weren't frustrated at how the series has ended up, I don't really know what other emotions you could have.

"Use it as fuel. I always feel like I can't work any harder, but I'll come away from this tour and go home and work even harder than what I have done out here for the summer coming up."

While admitting that India managed to execute their plans better and stay true to their own philosophy, Stokes admitted that their current approach is trying to become a better player. He added that if it could inspire a new set of people to become better players, that’ll be the ultimate success of Bazball.

"The media name 'Bazball' - everyone says, 'what is it?' - in my opinion it's wanting to be a better player. In the face of defeat and failure, 'Bazball' will hopefully inspire people to become better players and become even better than what we are. I think we've done a lot of things right.

"One thing India have done is stay true to what makes them successful. We have done that but not been able to execute how we'd like to. Whenever we managed to wrestle back any type of momentum with the ball or bat, India were always able to then put it back on to us. That was where the Tests after the first one were won and lost,” the England skipper said.

"In Test cricket, especially out here where the game can turn really fast on you, it's about understanding that, trying to understand those moments and being a bit more relentless with it. How that looks, I'm not sure, but we're all here at the highest level, playing cricket, and I think we all know as individuals that's where it has gone wrong for us on more than one occasion."

Throughout the series, multiple England players - Stokes included - tried to sweep and reverse sweep their way to success. It worked for Ollie Pope in Hyderabad, but most of the time, Indian spinners managed to wrest the momentum back in their favour to leave England dumbfounded. Stokes, however, feels that it was a risk that had the potential to pay off.

"When India get on top, especially with the ball, you see a lot of men come around the bat and when you've got the quality bowlers they do...you've got to find ways of getting guys around the bat out of there

"Sometimes that comes with risk and risk doesn't always pay off, but you get a couple of sweeps away and you find you've only got one man around the bat. You've just got to be positive enough to be able to take that risk and know sometimes it can be your downfall, but it's one of those things where you can look at it and say 'could I have done something better?'

"When the intent and the application is there with the reasons to why you're playing that shot, you can't hold your hands up and say too much else."

James Anderson was not picked for the first Test in Hyderabad as England decided to go with the sole pace option of Mark Wood, but they had no way to rest him for the next four Tests. With so many miles in his leg, it was admirable how the pacer continued to bowl and even secured his 700th Test wicket - becoming the only pacer and third-ever player to do so. Stokes had nothing but praise for the Lancashire-born pacer while being in awe of his longevity. 

"I've been lucky to be on the field for some of the milestones Jimmy has got to but being there for 700 wickets as a seamer was quite phenomenal. I've said many a time, he's someone any young kid who wants to be a fast bowler should look up to and try to emulate everything he has done from the day he started being a cricketer, let alone being an international cricketer, to where he is now.

"He's 41 years old, he's as fit as I've ever seen him, I honestly don't know when he is going to stop. The desire, the commitment and everything is still there, and it's great to watch. He doesn't play the game for the milestones, he plays for his teammates and England. He's just an unbelievable ambassador for the game and in particular fast bowling,” the English skipper added.