Sky Sports were forced to issue an on-air apology during Friday's Fourth Test at Old Trafford after England captain Ben Stokes suffered a painful blow to his groin area from a cricket ball.
The 34-year-old all-rounder was batting when a powerful shot struck him in a particularly sensitive region, prompting audible expletives that were picked up by broadcast microphones.
The incident left spectators at home grimacing as television cameras captured Stokes collapsing in agony on the pitch.
Commentary teams acknowledged the unfortunate situation, with one stating: "Sorry if you heard any expletives there, but perhaps you can understand why."
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|Sky Sports were forced to issue an on-air apology during Friday's Fourth Test at Old Trafford after England captain Ben Stokes suffered a painful blow to his groin area from a cricket ball
The match commentator described the impact, noting: "Oh! Movement, pain. He's been hit in the midships again."
Co-commentator Prakash Wakankar made light-hearted remarks about the limited assistance a physio could provide in such circumstances.
The painful moment occurred during a day when Joe Root's exceptional batting performance might otherwise have dominated headlines.
Despite the severe discomfort, Stokes demonstrated his renowned resilience by eventually rising to his feet, though observers noted he was moving with an obvious limp.
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Thoughts and prayers for Ben Stokes 😅😅😅 pic.twitter.com/2RiAGkOKLF
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 25, 2025
The Durham-born cricketer briefly left the field for treatment but showed characteristic determination by returning to the crease.
He continued his innings and finished the day unbeaten as England reached 544/7 in their first innings, establishing a substantial 186-run advantage over India with three wickets still in hand.
Root's outstanding innings of 150 runs marked his 38th Test century and propelled him past cricketing legends Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting in the all-time Test run-scoring rankings.
The Yorkshire batsman now sits second on the prestigious list, with only India's Sachin Tendulkar ahead of him.
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At 34 years old, Root has accumulated significant ground on Tendulkar's record-breaking total of 15,921 runs.
The England star requires an additional 2,513 runs to overtake "The Little Master" and claim the top position.
Ricky Ponting, speaking after the day's play, sees no reason why Root cannot eclipse Tendulkar.
"The way Root's career his gone, there is absolutely no reason why he will not go past Tendulkar," he said.
"He has transformed from someone who couldn't kick on from fifty to get a hundred. Now it's almost like every time he gets to that mark it's a hundred - and a big hundred!
"I averaged over 60 after 100 Test matches, but then had a pretty dramatic drop off but because Joe's technique is so good, I think he's going to have less problems than others."
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|England star Joe Root was outstanding against India on Friday
Michael Atherton added: "Root averages about 85 runs a Test match, so he'd likely need 30 Test matches to get up to Sachin.
"You never know what lies ahead in terms of freak injuries, sport can be a cruel mistress, but given a fair wind he should be up to Tendulkar in around two and a half years.
"Given how he's playing right now - the best he's ever played - and given there's no diminishing of his love and desire for the game, the numbers will likely take care of themselves."