Stokes Relishes India T20 'Final' In World Cup Year

Ben Stokes says England welcome the pressure of Saturday's "final" against India as they seek to become battle-hardened for this year's Twenty20 World Cup.

India leveled the five-match T20 series 2-2 when their bowlers stifled England's run chase for 186 despite Stokes's defiant 46 in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

"In an ideal world we would have loved to have gone into the next game having won the series and it sounds weird saying it, but we got a positive out of losing," said Stokes, after England fell eight runs short.

"We go into the next game with a huge amount of pressure on our shoulders as a team because whoever wins that game wins the series. It's a final."

Saturday's match will again be in an empty stadium in Ahmedabad because of rising coronavirus numbers in India. But despite the lack of atmosphere, Stokes said it was still a good test for England.

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