An injured Ben Stokes not playing the final Test hampered England's bowling capabilities, also exposing their over-reliance on the charismatic captain, feels former England captain Graham Gooch.
"Stokes, to me, has been a phenomenon this season. I mean, he's a key player for England because he balances the side. If he doesn't play, England have to go a batsman down.
"And if they go a batsman down, we're not good enough to have four bowlers. We need five bowlers. To have a four-bowler bowling attack, in my opinion, you need two world-class bowlers. And England don't have that at the moment.
"Stokes has been outstanding and he's been our best bowler. The minor concern has been the other bowlers," said the former top-order batter.
Gooch also found similarities between Stokes and Mohammed Siraj, who both bowled long spells in the series without worrying about their bodies.
"Siraj, I've got a lot of time for him. Very passionate, puts it in every time. And Ben Stokes is a similar sort of character. When he walks across the white line, he empties the tank. You understand what I mean by that. He doesn't leave anything behind. He gives it everything," said Gooch.
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