Watch| Ben Stokes’ 'Subcontinent Pitch' Comment Sparks Fan Backlash After England’s Defeat

Ben Stokes had been hoping to maintain England's unbeaten record against India at Edgbaston but Shubman Gill's troops had other ideas.

India took charge of the second Test, scoring more than 1,000 runs in both innings before winning by a whopping 336 runs on Sunday, tying the five-match series 1-1.

Looking back on defeat, Stokes conceded that he had never seen so many runs scored at the historic Birmingham ground and said the pitch played in a manner more akin to one usually encountered in the Indian subcontinent — something he feels ultimately suited the visitors.

Talking on BBC's Test Match Special, the England captain opined on the pitch conditions, citing how they changed during the course of the match to favour the strengths of India.

"To be fair, it's likely ended up being more of a subcontinent pitch as it's gotten progressively deeper into the game. You understand, there always is a bit in it initially, and I think we opened that up very, very well early on," Stokes said.

"But yeah, then just as it kind of went deeper and deeper, it just, yeah, it was a real hard slog for us and obviously, with the Indian attack and the conditions that they were accustomed to, they were accustomed to and used some of how to exploit those conditions, just kind of a little bit better than that can occur sometimes," he added.

Stokes' remarks, especially his description of the pitch as being such as a 'subcontinent wicket', provoked bitter responses on social media. A lot of Indian fans criticized the England captain on social media and branded him a "crybaby" and accused him of just making excuses. Others even called him a "loser" for those comments after the comprehensive loss.

Among those who reacted to Stokes was ex-Indian batsman and cricket commentator Aakash Chopra, who was taken aback by the remarks. He observed that subcontinent pitches are generally dominated by spin, while spinners had a limited role in this Edgbaston Test.

With a mere few days between the second and third Tests, focus now turns to how England would play the next game at Lord's — not only tactically, but also on the playing surface, after the unexpected outcome in Birmingham.