Ben Stokes had treatment on the field for what appeared to be a right groin injury
Ollie Pope said England will keep their "fingers crossed" Ben Stokes has not suffered a serious injury after the captain struggled on the first day of the third Test against India at Lord's.
Stokes appeared to experience a problem with his groin on his right side while making 39 not out, as England closed on 251-4.
The all-rounder had treatment on the field and hobbled between the wickets, turning down a second run in the final over that would have taken Joe Root to a century. Root ended unbeaten on 99.
England indicated there are no plans for Stokes to have a scan overnight and the skipper will instead be assessed on Friday morning.
"Fingers crossed he can do something magic and come back strong," said vice-captain Pope.
"Clearly we've got a big Test over the next four days and a big two coming up. It's important to try to manage him, and we'll see how he pulls up tomorrow."
Stokes, 34, has a chequered injury history and has only just returned from hamstring surgery.
Known for pushing his body to the limits, the Durham man has been fit to play a full part as the fourth seamer in the England attack this summer, albeit refraining from the marathon spells that were once his trademark.
And Pope admitted one of his duties as Stokes' deputy will be to ensure the captain does not do himself further damage by playing through any potential injury problem.
"For me, it's partially one of my roles to make sure he doesn't push himself to a ridiculous place with whatever he's dealing with at the moment," added Pope.
"I'm sure the physios and medics will work with him to lay out a plan and I'll help push him in the right direction."
This video can not be played
Pant forced off through injury from Bumrah delivery
India have their own injury concern after wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant spent most of the day off the field following a blow to his left index finger.
Like Stokes, Pant had one round of treatment on the field before being hit for a second time attempting a take down the leg side off pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah.
He was not seen after the 34th over of the day, with substitute Dhruv Jurel stepping in behind the stumps and holding an excellent catch to dismiss Pope.
The tourists have no plans for Pant to have an X-ray before the second day begins.
Pope, who was dropped off his first ball, made 44 in a third-wicket stand of 109 with Root.
On a slow pitch at Lord's, against some excellent Indian bowling, England were forced to curb their attacking instincts. A run-rate of 3.02 per over is their slowest for a total in excess of 200 since Stokes became captain three years ago.
"It's not necessarily the way we're used to going about a first innings, but I think 251-4 is a pretty good score at the minute," said Pope.
"Obviously we would have liked some more runs, but the nature of the surface and the way the Indian attack bowled was pretty good.
"It's a day we'll take. We had to adapt the way we play, but hopefully it's a score we can really kick on from tomorrow and make it north of 400, towards 500."
Get cricket news sent straight to your phone
Comments can not be loaded
To load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browser
The Wimbledon finalist who lost in qualifying last year
England keep 'fingers crossed' on Stokes injury
Tottenham sign West Ham midfielder Kudus for £55m
Landing on iPlayer in 2025, Destination X with Rob Brydon
Tony Hawks explores the uncomfortable issue of inheritance
Going inside real-life couples therapy
How to get £1,000 free a year as a first time buyer
Is Verstappen more likely to stay at Red Bull with Horner gone?
Wiegman delivers 'proper England' performance
'You're not just a tennis player' – taking care of mental health
England thump Netherlands to get title defence back on track. Video
'What a moment!' – Fishlock scores Wales' first major tournament goal. Video
Monstrous PSG 'leading a new era' – but problems for Real Madrid
Horner's demise at Red Bull: what we know happened and why
Sinner and Cobolli top best shots from day 10 at Wimbledon. Video
Lions back-row mix remains a puzzler – five talking points
All 23 Britons are out of Wimbledon singles – what did we learn?
19 forwards and £600m later… is Joao Pedro the frontman Chelsea need?
In Pictures: Sporting photos of the week
Why don't we trust technology in sport?
My photo by the toilet sums up my season – Open champion Schauffele
Why was Piastri penalised but Russell wasn't?
The 12 content creators vying to be BBC's new football expert
Taylor v Serrano 3 – all you need to know
The downfall of Brescia & potential rebirth in Serie C
Diogo Jota: A tribute. Video
Tour de France 2025 – your stage-by-stage guide to cycling's greatest race
Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
Ben Stokes: England have 'fingers crossed' over captain's injury, says Ollie Pope – BBC
Related articles
