Stokesreadytoreturn andrejuvenate England’stitledefence

Mumbai: Benstokessatcrossedleggedneartheboundaryline, completinghismediadutiesand talkinguphisfitness. Forthenext twohours, theenglandtalisman walkedthetalk.

Heplayfullywrestledwitha coupleofteammates, sprinted acrosstheoutfieldwithextra purpose, returnedtothedressing roomforaquickthighrubanda snack, andreturnedpaddedup, launchinglustyblowsinall directions.

The32-year-olddideverything butbowl. Butashetrudgedbackto thepavilion, Stokesleftnodoubt thathewasreadytomakehisfirst appearanceinthisworldcupwhen Englandtakeonsouthafricaatthe Wankhedestadiumonsaturday.

Forcedoutbyahipinjury, Stokes hasspentthelastfortnightonthe sidelineswatchinghelplesslyas Englandsuccumbedtodefeatsin twoofthethreematchesthey’ve playedsofar.

Thelosses– againstnewzealand andafghanistan, oneoftheupsets ofthetournament– have threatenedengland’stitledefence andtheynowhaveverylittlemargin forerrorintheirremainingsix games.

Ifenglandlosetosouthafrica, who’dbehurtingaswellfollowing anembarrassingdefeattothe Netherlands, theywillhavetowin alltheirremaininggamestoremain incontentionforthesemifinals.

Englandhaveenjoyedacoupleof daysoff, withtheplayers’families joiningtheminmumbai. Theygot downtobusinessonthursday, trainingformorethantwohours underlights.

Buttheextenttowhichengland arerelyingonstokes, centralto themwinningthe2019worldcup, tobringtheirfalteringcampaign backontrackcanbegaugedfrom thefactthateversincetheyarrived inmumbai, allthechatterhasbeen abouthisavailability.

Stokes, whocameoutof retirementjustbeforetheworld Cup, hassofarlentonlyoff-field supporttohisteammates, carrying drinksandindulginginpeptalks. Englandcoachmatthewmottsaid Stokesspoketothesquadafterthe shocklosstoafghanistanindelhi, underliningthemessagethatthe teamneedsto‘moveon’.

T 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Pts 8 8 4 4 2 2 2 2 2 0

NRR +1.923 +1.659 +1.385 -0.1377 -0.084 -0.734 -0.784 -0.993 -1.250 -1.532