England skipper Ben Stokes might return to his all-round abilities as he is expected to bowl in the fourth Test against India which will commence on February 23, Friday. The fourth Test between India and England will be played at Ranchi’s Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium.
Before the series, Ben Stokes stated that he was looking to continue his bowling in the last two Tests. England coach Brendon McCullum has made things clear about Stokes’ return to bowling
Ben Stokes refrained from bowling the initial three Tests of the series as he was recuperating from a knee operation that he had last year. He last bowled in the Ashes and since then has not handled the ball much in any format.
Brendon McCullum has said that the tough sub-continent conditions might make Ben Stokes reconsider his decision and if he still decides to bowl it will be shorter spells. Ben Stokes has taken 197 Test wickets in his career at an average of 32.08 which includes four five-wicket hauls.
Brendon McCullum said that Ben Stokes is very clever and he will bowl only if he thinks he is legitimately able to bowl and the problem will arise when he starts bowling longer spells.
Ben Stokes bowling longer spells can affect his knee which can lead to injury concerns and England can’t afford to have their captain injured for a long duration as they are already struggling on the WTC table.
“Well, it’s good that he’s actually getting into a state where he thinks he might bowl. But Ben is clever; he’s really clever as well. He won’t bowl unless he thinks he’s legitimately able to bowl. The problem would be if he starts getting into a spell and then he can’t get out of the spell. So we’ll see what unfolds,” McCullum said.
Ben Stokes’ bowling will provide a better depth to the England team
England only has one all-rounder in the XI right now excluding Ben Stokes and that is Joe Root who may have been silent with the bat in this series but has made substantial contributions with the ball.
Ben Stokes is also the only pace-bowling all-rounder for England in the Test squad at the moment and he is not able to bowl. Ben Stokes has a terrific record as a fast bowler in Test cricket and is very near to the 200 Test wickets milestone, requiring only three wickets as he stands on 197 currently.
India is currently leading the five-match Test series by 2-1 and is aiming to seal the series in the fourth Test in Ranchi. England needs to win both Tests from here to win the Test series and it will be a difficult task for the visitors as it has been over a decade that India has lost a Test series at home.
They are aiming to win their 17th consecutive Test series at home by defeating England in the ongoing Test series. The hosts last lost a Test series at home in 2012 when England defeated India by 2-1 under Sir Alastair Cook.
