Ben Stokes will play as an all-rounder in the fourth Test against India after a lengthy training session with the Nets two days after a must-win game.
The England captain, who has not played since the second Ashes Test at Lord’s last summer, suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee and underwent surgery after the World Cup in November.
The 32-year-old, who is three wickets short of 200 in Test cricket and had planned to bowl only in training on this tour, has made the decision to England team doctor Ben Davies With the “pinky promise”, he will not get into fierce battles.
But with his team trailing India 2-1 with two matches remaining and the Ranchi track likely to need a third frontline spinner, Shoaib Bashir, the only player in the squad, was recalled The backup slow bowler – Stokes was ready to break that promise.
He bowled his best for an hour in the nets on Wednesday – his first with a batsman at the other end on the tour – under the supervision of Davies and the England team doctor after the tour Half section, Glenleigh.
Speaking after the game, Ollie Pope said: “We know what kind of person Stokes is, he has a competitive edge. There is a good chance he will bowl but he has not confirmed it yet. We will see how he stands up Get up. If all goes well, hopefully we’ll see him with the ball in the game.”
Stokes nodded in the affirmative when speaking to medical staff after the meeting, although whether anyone has the ability to prevent such an early comeback is another question.
“Honestly, when he goes away, it’s hard to take the ball away from him,” Pope said. “If he’s confident in his knee, I think you also have to trust the medical advice and his opinion. If he needs some guidance on the court, I can be someone he can rely on.”
India’s choice to rest Jasprit Bumrah for the fourth Test has raised questions about its surface spin rate compared to those at Hyderabad, Vishakhpatnam and Rajkot Faster discussion. There is still a day of preparation before the game but Pope believes England are ready to take on any challenge.
Pope said: “The pitch looks interesting, very ‘bland’. There are quite a few cracks at the moment. The cracks on the wicket are not just cracks, there are individual patches of ground that could crack in the sun. If they are like us Open as expected, the ball may stray further away from them.
“If the ball does spin from No. 1, I guess it’s a level playing field. It doesn’t define the result, but if you win the toss and bat on a slightly flatter wicket, it does give you Bring advantages.
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“if [this pitch] It did kind of go the way we expected it to, watching it today it really brought us into the game. We have some young spinners but they are playing well on some pretty good surfaces so it will definitely lead to some chances of taking wickets. “
If Bashir does return to the XI, it’s possible he could line up alongside Ollie Robinson to provide breathing space for Jimmy Anderson and Mark Wood. Like Stokes, Robinson has not played since the Ashes, when he left with back spasms after playing 11.2 overs at Headingley, and did not return to Sussex in the late summer.
The 30-year-old looks in better shape on this tour, having doubled down on his overall fitness levels and bowled well on the flat surfaces of Pakistan last winter.
