Stokes in for England
‘It was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make as captain’
Ben Stokes will start the third Test for England against India at Trent Bridge today just four days after being cleared of affray. England captain Joe Root confirmed yesterday the all-rounder would be back in the starting XI at the expense of the unfortunate Sam Curran, who was man of the match in the opening Test at Edgbaston.
“It was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make as captain. It’s about us as a squad delivering over five games and on this occasion Sam is unfortunate to miss out,” said Root.
“Ben is desperate to get back playing cricket. He’s desperate to get out there, put in performances and concentrate on his cricket now. He feels ready to play. I have known Ben from being really quite young and I feel very confident he will be able to go out and put in a performance.”
Stokes’ return for the third Test, with England leading 2-0, was always going to be a difficult call for Root with two other all-rounders in the squad playing so well.
After the second Test win, Root had described the selection dilemma as a “great headache” for him, but Stokes has been welcomed back into the team’s ranks after his acquittal in the high-profile case.
Stokes had played a big part in providing a winning start with his six wickets, including the prize one of Virat Kohli, in the tight opening Test at Edgbaston.
Yet in his absence due to the court hearing, England were much more dominant in their second Test innings victory at Lord’s with Chris Woakes, the replacement for Stokes, winning the man-of-the-match award for his century and four wickets.
Curran had won the same award in the Edgbaston contest for his crucial half-century and five wickets, making it difficult for either him or Woakes to be dropped but it was the 20-year-old Surrey prospect who misses out.
“What Sam has done so far has been nothing short of high class,” said Root.
Woakes is retained after his magnificent effort as is batsman Ollie Pope who made a decent debut with his 28 at Lord’s.
The 27-year-old Stokes is plunged straight back into the spotlight after an 11-month saga ended when he was found not guilty of affray following the late-night street brawl in Bristol last September after England had won a ODI against West Indies.
India captain Virat Kohli said “the only option is to win this game” as he urged his side to make a virtue of their dire position.
Only once in Test history have a side come from 2-0 down to win a five-match series and that was when a Don Bradmaninspired Australia beat England in 1936/37. But Kohli was in defiant mood. “When your back is against the wall, that is the time for you not to think about anything else,” he said. “If you look at it from another point of view, it’s actually a good situation to be in because you literally have no room for thinking about anything else. “The only conversation we’ve had is that the only option is to win this game and nothing else.