England could sink to their first series defeat since Ben Stokes took over as captain if they lose the upcoming fourth Test against India in Ranchi.
England have squandered a 1-0 lead in their ongoing five-match Test series in India after losing the second and third Tests. While the second Test in Visakhapatnam was a thriller and England were lauded for the way they fought, the visitors have copped a lot of criticism for the way they capitulated in the third. England lost the match in Rajkot by 434 runs, the highest margin of victory by runs for India in their Test history.
Ben Stokes, who has not bowled since June last year due to a knee injury, is now considering a return to bowling in the fourth Test in Ranchi. Stokes had earlier promised his physiotherapist that he would not bowl through this series, but his recovery has been faster than expected. Stokes stated, “I’m not saying yes, I’m not saying no. Me being me, I’m always very optimistic about most things. That will be a more detailed chat with the medical team about what workload I have done to pass me off as not being a massive risk.”
During the Rajkot Test, Stokes trained at 100% intensity and felt good. However, he chose not to bowl in the game as he believed it would have been foolish. If Stokes does return to bowling, it would be a significant boost to England’s bowling lineup, which has lacked experience, especially in the spin department.
England’s head coach, Brendon McCullum, expressed confidence in Stokes’ judgment, saying, “Ben is clever; he’s really clever as well. He won’t bowl unless he thinks he’s legitimately able to bowl. The problem would be if he starts getting into a spell and then he can’t get out of the spell. So we’ll see what unfolds.”
Stokes’ potential return to bowling could change the dynamics of the series, providing England with a much-needed boost as they aim to bounce back and level the series in Ranchi.
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