Josh Tongue has admitted England have missed Ben Stokes as they head into the final day of the second Test against New Zealand at the Oval with defeat still the likeliest outcome.
England closed day four on 182 for five in pursuit of 463, still 281 runs short, with Joe Root unbeaten on 75 after passing 14,000 Test runs. The match has been shaped by New Zealand’s control, England’s reshuffled side and the absence of their regular captain, with Tongue acknowledging the hole Stokes leaves, according to a fresh update from The Guardian.
Stokes absence frames England’s final-day problem
Stokes is serving a suspension after the disciplinary issue that also involved Gus Atkinson, while England have leaned on Root as stand-in captain in a Test that has exposed their lack of balance. Tongue’s admission matters because it cuts through any attempt to present this as a routine selection reshuffle.
Root gives England a route to survival, but the broader picture is awkward. New Zealand have the runs, the time and the momentum to level the series, while England are left needing either a Root epic or a long lower-order rearguard.
Stokes could yet return for the third Test, and Tongue’s comments only sharpen the case for England restoring his all-round presence as soon as possible. For now, the final day is about resistance, not romance.
