Now Brad Pitt’s leadership tips are rubbing off on Stokes!
Captain takes inspiration from war film as he marches troops into second Test
So, how do England follow that? How do they follow one of the most incredible comeback wins in history and ensure there is no repeat of their last tour here, when India roared back after a first Test defeat and blew England away on pitches that were raging turners?
Things just seem different this time. Nothing seems impossible now. Not after the Hyderabad heist that has left India bemused and, frankly, rattled after becoming the latest side to feel the force of this ultra-positive England team and their extraordinary captain.
For his next trick Ben Stokes must cope without the senior spinner meant to be such a key figure in England’s plans here after Jack Leach was cruelly ruled out yesterday with a haematoma in his left knee, suffered in his first game back following a stress fracture.
To any other England side it would have been a major blow — as Ravindra Jadeja’s absence in the second Test here tomorrow is likely to be for India — but Stokes would be happy to whistle up yet another rookie spinner and throw him into the fray.
For Rehan Ahmed, Will Jacks and, spectacularly in the first Test, Tom Hartley — all of whom have taken a five-wicket haul or more on debut in the last year or so — read Shoaib Bashir, who had his first net session in India yesterday and now could make his first Test appearance on the back of only six first-class games for Somerset.
England want to have another look at a Visakhapatnam pitch that actually looked pretty flat yesterday before they declare their hand today, but clearly Stokes would have no qualms in making probably his boldest call yet and picking Bashir.
It was fascinating yesterday to listen to Stokes talking about the young spinner’s incredible journey from the periphery at Taunton to the brink of Test cricket via a huge visa controversy and the captain’s particular empathy with spin bowlers. Clearly, Bashir has been quickly welcomed into the fold, gaining a huge cheer from the players when he walked into the dressing room on Sunday after his delayed arrival here. And he did his case no harm yesterday by taking the captain’s wicket during England’s net session.
‘It wasn’t the first time he’s got me because he did it a few times in Abu Dhabi,’ said Stokes. ‘But I’m not sure this one would have carried to slip! ‘To be honest, Abu Dhabi was the first live look I’d had of Bash. The first time I saw him was on Twitter. The County Championship account put a little clip together of him bowling at Sir Alastair Cook and I just saw something. I thought, “This could be pretty good in India”. I’m in a WhatsApp group with Baz McCullum and Rob Key — there is actually work stuff on there, it’s not just golf swings — so I forwarded the clip on and said, “Have a look at this. It could be something we could work with on our India tour”. And it went from there.
‘It was great when Bash turned up in Hyderabad after everything that had gone on. He landed at 8.25am on Sunday, got to the hotel, had a shower and came straight to the ground. I said he didn’t have to stay for the day but he was like, “No, no I’m staying for this”.
‘Then it was great for him to see that win on his first day back in the camp and to see what Test cricket can be like.
‘He would have seen stuff on television but to be in the dressing room and see the emotion was great for him.
‘If he does play, the great thing is, what does he have to lose? I will be trying to make it as fun and enjoyable for him as I can.’
It is not yet certain that call will come for tomorrow’s Test. It was noticeable how well Jimmy Anderson and ollie Robinson bowled in the nets yesterday and both could play at the expense of Leach and Mark Wood.
Certainly McCullum’s giddy talk of an all- spin attack to his friends on New Zealand radio looks like being shelved for another day.
Ahmed was the only England player missing from training — his absence was due to him being on a fasting day — and he may come under pressure for his place from Bashir.
Whichever of the young spinners are selected at the Vizag stadium, they know they have a captain seemingly with an exceptional gift of getting the most out of slow bowlers.
‘ It’s all about giving the spinners as much confidence and responsibility as the seamers,’ said Stokes. ‘I guess my thing with spinners is giving them as much backing as I do every other bowler.
‘I don’t just give them the ball to give the seamers a break. I want them to come on and make something happen and not worry about the scoreboard.’
We are clearly seeing the continued evolution of one of the best and most innovative captains in England’s history and Stokes gave another insight into this transformation of Test cricket he is undertaking when asked who inspired him as a leader.
‘I’ve said a few times about the Brad Pitt character in the film
Fury,’ he replied. ‘I watch a lot of movies like that.
‘The best leaders are the ones people would do anything for. I speak a lot but I’ve got to go out and do the actions, too.
‘I don’t need everyone to like me. I just want people to respect me and go with what I’m saying. I think everyone knows it’s all about being selfless, which goes a long way as a leader.’
England are going a long way under Stokes. And they could take another huge step towards a significant series triumph here this week.