Stone is quick out of the blocks to push Ashes case

A BOWLER so quick he has been compared to a Ferrari, Olly Stone has spent more time parked in the garage than out on the road.

The Warwickshire seamer’s career had stalled through a series of serious injuries, most notably two stress fractures in his back.

So what a joy it was to see Stone back and at full throttle in Chennai, proving his worth with the third delivery of his second Test — and first overseas.

Taking t he new ball with Stuart Broad, he silenced 15,000 Indian supporters when he nipped one back t o opener Shubman Gill, who shouldered arms and was plumb lbw.

It was just rewards for a player who recently wondered if continuing a career in cricket was ‘the right thing to do’.

It was England managing director Ashley Giles who, when in charge of Warwickshire, said Stone was a Ferrari, not an Audi, and must be treated as such.

The 27-year-old has long been one of England’s great hopes, the type of 90mph-plus quick they want on an Ashes tour. But he had been limited to four onedayers in Sri Lanka in 2018 and a Test against Ireland in 2019.

He impressed with three for 29 in the first innings of that match at Lord’s, but after missing that summer’s Ashes with his latest back injury, Stone’s only firstclass game was in the Bob Willis Trophy last August, when he suffered a side strain.

Making Stone Jofra Archer’s like-for-like replacement was a real show of faith by England.

It would have been easy to select the more experienced Chris Woakes or reverse the call to rest Jimmy Anderson. But Stone instantly repaid Joe Root’s faith and, along with Jack Leach, was the pick of England’s bowlers on the first day, even if figures of one for 42 off 15 overs did not quite do him justice.

His first four-over burst was particularly eye- catching. As well as the wicket of Gill, he forced Cheteshwar Pujara to seek treatment after rattling his gloves and he hit speeds as high as 93mph. ‘He bowled with some real heat up front,’ said Leach.

Stone is not expected to be a match- winner here, in conditions that favour spin. But he has said he wants to ‘terrorise’ batsmen in an Ashes pace trio with Archer and Mark Wood.

On Channel 4, Sir Andrew Strauss said of Stone: ‘It was a very impressive start. We talk a lot about Jofra Archer being that X-Factor bowler, what that has shown us is that England have got some good reserves to bowl in a similar style.’