'Got us into that position': Ben Stokes defends Harry Brook brain fade as legends criticise 'panicked' batting collapse

England captain Ben Stokes has defended the brain fade from teammate Harry Brook that ultimately triggered a collapse in the fifth Test against India.

With the hosts in control at 3-301 and requiring just 73 runs to secure a hard-fought series victory at The Oval, the right-hander threw his wicket away in ugly fashion.

Brook - who had already brought up a blistering century - departed for 111 off 98 balls after skying a delivery from Askash Deep safely into the hands of Mohammed Siraj.

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As he played the incredibly loose shot, Brook's bat flew out of his hands and into the air before he trudged off the field, leaving the experienced Joe Root to steer the ship.

What happened next was a terrible turn of events for England, who lost their remaining six wickets for 66 runs as the middle and lower-order failed to lift them home, allowing India to draw the series 2-2 in dramatic fashion.

Speaking after the loss, Stokes - who missed the Test due to injury - was quizzed about Brook's exit and what followed, giving a stoic defence of the 26-year-old and instead pointing back to the six dropped catches during India's second innings.

"Harry got us into that position by playing a particular way, putting the Indian bowlers under immense pressure to take them away from being able to consistently bowl in the areas that they wanted to bowl," he said.

"I'm sure everyone was applauding him when he brought up his hundred in the way that he did. Some of the shots he played were unbelievable.

"You can go over so many moments in a five-day Test match and all the time you spend out in the field and say, 'If this had been slightly different, we could have been in a slightly different situation'.

"No one means to drop catches, obviously - but I think if we look back on that, you could say that those chances that we did put down did cost us."

While Stokes was giving a robust defence of Brook, there was plenty of commentary that wasn't so forgiving.

Former captain Michael Vaughan conceded if the shoe was on the foot of a rival nation, the criticism would be coming thick and fast for the English batters.

"The truth is England panicked," he wrote in his column for the UK Telegraph.

"The closer they got, within 70, they tried to be more high-risk. The approach was wrong on the final morning. It was too risky.

"If India lost in that fashion, we would have said they yipped up. If South Africa lost like that, we would say they choked. It was that bad a miss.

"It is a great achievement to get so close, but when you have got 70 to win, you should waltz home in your own conditions. England had done the hard work.

"They had reached the point where they should have won the game and they did not.

"They are great to watch and garner so much attention because of their style of play, but that has also been their problem so far.

"The defeat will really hurt. When you know you should win a game, it is so painful."

Nasser Hussain likened the rash approach from Brook at a period that required a more steady hand to discussions had with Kevin Pietersen during his time in the Test side.

"We used to give KP stick when KP would say, 'that's the way I play' ... [but] you do have to play the situation as well and that's what Harry may have to learn and add to his game and learn," he said on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.

"Next time, even though it's your shot, play the situation to get your team closer to the line ... but I cannot be critical if someone's got 10 hundreds in 50 innings."

The fielding woes and England's batting collapse were the two glaring issues in the series-deciding result, but one selection decision has also raised eyebrows.

Young gun Jacob Bethell was recalled to the XI in place of the injured Stokes despite having limited preparation and ultimately failed, leaving Vaughan frustrated.

"I would actually like to sit down with (managing director) Rob Key and (selector) Luke Wright and ask them this: when you were 21, would you like to be thrown into a Test match on the back of no cricket?," he wrote.

"If they say they would not have minded, they are lying."

Bethell scored just 11 runs across the two innings and was a non-factor with the ball, bowling just six overs for the match.

England will now turn their attention to the upcoming Ashes series against Australia, which kicks off on November 21 at Perth's Optus Stadium.