Root: Stokes is ready to repay our faith
England captain admits axing Curran for controversial all-rounder was agonising call
Joe Root decided Ben Stokes was ready to make a Test return after a face-to-face meeting in which the all-rounder told the England captain he was “desperate” to get back on the cricket field.
Root admitted dropping Sam Curran to make way for Stokes was the hardest decision of his captaincy career. Curran was not happy with the decision but took it “maturely”, according to Root who assured him he had a “big future”.
Root refused to divulge whether Stokes had apologised to the England players when he returned to the team for training here on Thursday two days after being acquitted of affray at Bristol Crown Court.
It is understood Stokes briefly addressed the players when they held a team meeting behind closed doors at Trent Bridge and that if England go 3-0 up and win the series here it is likely Curran will play the final two Tests, with England rotating one of Stuart Broad or James Anderson with one eye on the winter. “I sat him [Stokes] down last night, just me and him, and I asked him brutally and honestly if he was in the right place to play for England and he assured me that he’s ready to perform at his best,” said Root. “From that perspective, I have no worries or doubts that he will go and deliver just like he has so many times.”
Curran was man of the match at Edgbaston after performing with bat and ball and scored a useful 40 in the second innings at Lord’s but he makes way at a ground where England are confident swing and seam will win the game and that both Stokes and Chris Woakes are more dangerous. It is tough on Curran but Ed Smith, the national selector, is keen to promote the squad mentality in the Test set-up and Curran will be back soon.
“It’s probably one of the most difficult selections I’ve had to make as captain. I think some people would see that as the easy option, to leave Sam out,” said Root.
“But he’s offered so much to this bowling group – and at the start of the series I said to the team for us to win a five-match series against the best side in the world, it’s going to take more than just 11 players.
“It’s about us as a squad performing collectively for five games, and he’s played a massive part in the first two.
“It might be that he comes back in later on. So, ultimately, it’s about us as a squad delivering over a five to six-week period – and on this occasion, he’s unfortunate to miss out. But what he’s done so far has been nothing short of high class. That’s testament to how well we’ve been playing, and it’s a good sign for this group moving forward.”
After an elaborate security operation to help Stokes avoid the camera crews on Thursday, it was a more low-key England training session yesterday.
Stokes’s return will have helped Nottinghamshire shift tickets. The first three days have sold out despite the awkwardness of the Saturday start, the first in this country since 1955.
What helps Root is his closeness to Stokes and the fact the pair share a joint history going back to their school days when they played agegroup cricket for England. Stokes was Root’s choice as his vice-captain last year and even though he must have felt let down when he missed the Ashes series, Root has been a source of support throughout his legal troubles.
“One thing I will say is, I have known Ben from really quite young and I feel very confident that he will be able to go out and put in a strong performance. He looks fresh and looks like he is raring to go and that is a positive sign after the way he performed at Edgbaston.
“He has been made available for selection. From that point on, it has been about whether he is good enough to play for England. He has been a fine performer for us for a long period of time. You don’t want to leave someone like Ben out.
“He offers so much to this group on and off the field. He is a big part of our team and he has the ability to change the game. Hopefully that can be the case this week.”
Stokes’s return has overshadowed all else this week but England are 2-0 up against the world’s No1 side and Root on the verge of only his second series win as captain.
There will be more changes for India, with Virat Kohli again shuffling his side. He has never picked the same team twice but it is understandable this time for his team were walloped at Lord’s and the batsmen look bereft of confidence.
Dinesh Karthik’s stop-start Test career looks over, with 20-year-old Rishabh Pant to make his debut. Jasprit Bumrah is fit after a thumb injury and India are likely to revert to one spinner.
“I’m very excited with Jasprit getting fit again,” said Kohli. “He’s one guy who’s really aggressive in mind. He wants to take the situation front on and make the batsmen uncomfortable.”