London, Aug 5; England captain Ben Stokes accepted the heartbreak of a six-run defeat to India at The Oval with grace, insisting that the 2-2 series result was a fair reflection of one of the most fiercely contested Test series in recent memory. While disappointed to miss out on a series win, Stokes praised both teams for delivering 25 days of enthralling cricket that, in his words, should silence talk of Test cricket’s decline.

After nearly seven weeks of attritional cricket, the finale at The Oval produced a final act worthy of the occasion. Set 374 to win, England resumed the fifth morning needing just 35 runs with four wickets in hand. But India, inspired by a searing spell from Mohammed Siraj, took the last four wickets for 28 runs in a breathless passage of play that ensured the decider would be spoken of for years to come.

“It’s been toe-to-toe for 25 days,” Stokes said. “All four previous matches went into the final day and this one did too. Two very good sides have thrown everything at each other and left nothing out there. From a cricket fan’s point of view, 2-2 is probably fair. Obviously we’re disappointed not to have got the result we wanted to secure a series win, so there’s frustration-but credit to both teams for the level of cricket played.”