NEW DELHI: England captain Ben Stokes remained ambiguous regarding his potential return to bowling in the upcoming fourth test against India, scheduled to commence on Friday. Despite selecting a team with two changes, including the recall of seamer Ollie Robinson and offspinner Shoaib Bashir, Stokes refrained from confirming his bowling role.
Stokes, who previously declared his intention to focus solely on batting in the series to manage his workload post-left knee surgery in November, showcased his bowling prowess during a 35-minute stint at full intensity in the nets on Wednesday without experiencing any adverse effects.
Should Stokes resume his allrounder duties in Ranchi, it will mark his first competitive bowling since the Lord's test in the Ashes last July. Speaking on the BBC on Thursday, Stokes expressed satisfaction with his progress but emphasized the importance of caution in his return to bowling activities.
With England trailing 2-1 in the five-match series, the team opted for changes, introducing Robinson for his first appearance since the third Ashes test. Robinson replaces Mark Wood, lauded by Stokes for his commendable effort in challenging conditions during the third test in Rajkot.
Meanwhile, India remains formidable on home turf, eyeing their 17th consecutive series win at home since their surprising defeat to Alastair Cook's England in 2012. With an impressive record of 38 wins out of 47 Tests since then, India has demonstrated dominance, with only three losses, twice against Australia and once against England.
Despite the absence of key players like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and a struggling Shreyas Iyer, Indian captain Rohit Sharma has adeptly managed the team, relying on the performances of young talents to propel the team forward. These emerging players have been the standout feature of the series, contributing significantly to India's success thus far.
Here's everything you need to know about the fourth Test of the five-match series between India and England:What: India vs England, 4th Test
When: February 23 (Friday)
Where: JSCA International Stadium, Ranchi
Ind vs Eng: Where and how to watch in UKLive stream/telecast on discovery+, TNT Sports (4:00 AM GMT)
Where to follow Live: https://www.thetimesofindia.online/sports
England Playing XIBen Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes, Ollie Robinson, James Anderson, Shoaib Bashir, Tom Hartley.
India Playing XIRohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar/Akash Deep.
The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
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