Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif took a brutal dig at Ben Stokes’ captaincy during Day 4 of the ongoing second Test between England and India at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Kaif questioned the tactical decisions from the England skipper and said he didn’t understand the hype around his leadership skills.
England ended Day 4 (Saturday, July 5) in deep trouble at 72 for 3. They have a challenging task ahead on the final day of the match. India are just seven wickets away from leveling the series. Mohammed Siraj provided a breakthrough for his team, while Akash Deep took two wickets before stumps.
Mohammad Kaif criticized Ben Stokes for not placing additional fielders in the slip cordon, despite several edges from Indian batters during Day 4. The cricketer-turned-commentator also pointed out that England’s win in the first Test at Headingley was due to the batters, not Stokes’ captaincy.
"I have never understood the hype around Ben Stokes the captain. On a flat track with sun shining he decides to bowl, today with some life in pitch edges flying but no extra slip. Batsmen took England to win in first Test but Stokes didn't score many. Please inform if I have missed any of his hidden leadership master stroke," Kaif wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
I have never understood the hype around Ben Stokes the captain. On a flat track with sun shining he decides to bowl, today with some life in pitch edges flying but no extra slip. Batsmen took England to win in first Test but Stokes didn't score many. Please inform if I have…
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) July 5, 2025
Stokes couldn’t make a significant impact with the bat in both innings of the first Test. The left-handed batter recorded scores of just 20 and 33. However, he picked up four wickets in India's first innings.
Ben Stokes Dismissed for Golden Duck in First Inning of Second Test
Ben Stokes had a forgettable outing in the second Test against India. He was dismissed for a golden duck in England’s innings. After India posted a massive 587 in their first innings, England were under pressure from the start. Team India captain Shubman Gill scored 269 runs off 387 deliveries.
England’s top order collapsed in the final session of Day 2, and things worsened as Mohammed Siraj dismissed Joe Root in just the second over on the third morning.
With England in trouble, Stokes was expected to stabilize the innings. However, he was undone on his very first ball by a sharp, short-pitched delivery from Siraj that caught the edge, and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant completed a simple catch.
Shubman Gill Scores Second Century of the Match on Day 4 at Edgbaston
Earlier on Day 4, Shubman Gill scored his second century of the match. The 25-year-old became the first Indian captain to smash a double century and a hundred in the same Test. England’s Graham Gooch had scored 333 and 123 against India at Lord’s in 1990.
Gill also surpassed Sunil Gavaskar’s long-standing record of 344 runs for the most by an Indian batter in a single Test, finishing with a match total of 430.
With a massive target in front of them, England’s chase got off to a poor start. Mohammed Siraj struck early to remove Zak Crawley for a duck, and Akash Deep then dismissed Ben Duckett (25) and Joe Root (6), making full use of the new ball.
Also read: Karun Nair fulfilled Virat Kohli's absence, ensured no one missed Rohit Sharma: Twitter reacts to batter's failure vs ENG
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