"Didn't listen to me when I was captain" - Joe Root's massive revelation on teammate amid ENG vs IND 2025 Test series

England's batting kingpin Joe Root has disclosed that Ben Stokes doesn't listen to his advice when it comes to managing his workload on the bowling front. The 34-year-old revealed that the seam-bowling all-rounder remains desperate to make things happen every time, keeping in mind his recent performance against India at Lord's.

Stokes was under significant pressure at Lord's after India had consigned England to a 336-run defeat at Edgbaston and levelled the series 1-1. While the 34-year-old crafted crucial knocks in both innings on a tricky Lord's surface, his most sigificant contribution came with the ball. Despite his recent struggles with injuries, Stokes sent down 44 overs across both innings and picked up five crucial wickets as England won a thriller by 22 runs.

Speaking ahead of the fourth Test, the Yorkshire batter acknowledged that he was panicking whether the all-rounder can maintain his fitness until the end of the game. He said, as quoted by BBC Sport:

"He doesn't always listen to me. He didn't listen to me when I was captain. But, no, he knows what he's doing and he's got a good handle on where he's at physically. It was an incredible effort. He's just desperate to be the man and make things happen. Incredible effort to be able to do that. I was just panicking that he wasn't going to make it through the game after a couple of bad injuries but he clearly trusts his body now."

Aside from his five wickets at Lord's, Stokes also affected Rishabh Pant's run-out for 74 at a crucial stage of the first innings. He eventually won the Player of the Match award as England went 2-1 up in the series.

Ben Stokes and Joe Root shared crucial partnerships in both innings at Lord's

Ben Stokes and Joe Root. (Image Credits: Getty)

Meanwhile, England's two most experienced Test cricketers came to the fore at Lord's in both innings to share crucial half-century partnerships. The first dig saw them add 88, followed by 67 in the second when the going got even more difficult for batters.

After scores of 22 and 6 at Edgbaston, Root bounced back by making 104 and 40 at Lord's to help the hosts clinch an important win. Stokes also found some semblence of form with knocks of 44 and 33. India and England will resume the battle for the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy in Manchester, where the fourth Test begins on July 23.